The white floss silk tree, or Chorisia insignis, is characterized by the strange looking “trunk prickles,” which widen and can grow to over an inch in width as the furrowed gray trunk expands with age. Although the tree does best in well-watered soil, the bottle-shaped trunk swells to retain water for use in the dry season, making it relatively drought resistant. A native to South America, Chorisia insignis has white flowers and and a dehiscent fruit that, as it dries and splits, releases seeds cradled in dense masses of silky hairs. This silk has been used to stuff pillows and life jackets. Its wood has been used to make canoes, the wood pulp is used in the manufacturing of paper and ropes, and oils can be obtained from the seeds for both culinary and industrial applications. To find more about this fascinating tree, visit its profile at http://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=380
