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> Homepage > Welcome > Learn more > Nature > Vegetation >   The sacred ceiba
Also called yaxché or pochote, the ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) is the sacred tree of the Maya. The ancients believed that it sustained the universe: its roots plunged into the Underworld, its trunk grew up through the world of men while its branches and spreading crown reached the heavens. Centuries later, the Mayan inhabitants of central Quintana Roo still revere the noble tree.
The ceiba can reach heights of 18 meters, it has a straight trunk and its branches radiate from the bole in an umbrella-like crown. The bark is greyish-brown and the wood is cream-colored. The flowering season is from August to November. Green pods subsequently form and when ripe burst open to reveal seeds covered by a white cotton, hence the name silk cotton or kapok.
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© 2004 Editorial Veras. La guía Oficial del Caribe Mexicano.