File:Balso_(Ochroma_pyramidale)_(14723405443).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
OverviewAI-generated
Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as balsa, West Indian balsa, or 轻木, is a species within the family Malvaceae. It belongs to the genus Ochroma and is classified in the order Malvales, class Magnoliopsida, phylum Tracheophyta, and kingdom Plantae. The species is the source of balsa wood.
Its native range includes Pará, Amazonia, and Acre. The plant has been introduced to several other locations, including the Andaman Islands, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Galápagos, Guinea, the Marquesas, the Nicobar Islands, Senegal, the Society Islands, and Vietnam. Records from iDigBio indicate occurrences in Mexico, Estados Unidos De America, and Belice.
The IUCN Red List assessed the species as Least Concern in 2019.
Synthesized by Vinony from 33 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, IUCN Red List, Plants of the World, iDigBio. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
Least ConcernSPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderMalvales
- FamilyMalvaceae
Es un elemento indicador de bosque alterado, ya sea en forma natural o por el hombre. Se localiza principalmente en elevaciones bajas o bajo-medianas con climas húmedos o muy húmedos.
via GBIF · IUCN · Kew POWO
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 1,191
- With media
- 867
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Collections
- ECOSUR, UNICACH, IBUNAM, UACH, STDOM, CICY
- Recorded in
- Mexico, Estados Unidos De America, Belice
Wikidata facts
Show 11 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- taxon name
- Ochroma pyramidale
- Commons category
- Ochroma pyramidale
- this taxon is source of
- balsa
- different from
- Balsa
- Commons gallery
- Ochroma pyramidale
- IUCN conservation status
- Least Concern
- taxon range
- Acre
- short name
- O. pyramidale
- taxon common name
- 轻木
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~10 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as balsa, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma, and is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the mallow family Malvaceae. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density. The name balsa is the Spanish word for "raft" and the Portuguese word for ferry.
A deciduous angiosperm, Ochroma pyramidale can grow up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall, and is classified as a hardwood despite the wood itself being very soft; it is the softest commercial hardwood and is widely used because of its light weight.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ochroma pyramidale” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.