Kapok Tree

This Ceiba pentandra is a smaller variety of a much bigger species from Central America and, according to Wikipedia, was introduced into the Philippines as an ornamental tree. The seed pods (which are roughly banana-sized) contain a good number of seeds. I did not count them, but those in my last picture are only a few removed from a pod, just to show how they look. The tree is mainly known for the cotton-like or silk-like material which appears to be a protective wrapping for the seeds. Wiki says it is a mix of lignin and cellulose. For me, the feature of the tree which got my attention was the big, sharp thorns. They look formidable, but are surprisingly easy to break off from the trunk. You can just hold one with your fingers and give a little push to one side and it comes right off as if that was its purpose. I have not read any scientific information about these thorns, but it may be that they are easy to remove so that any creature attempting to damage the tree will walk away with a number of thorns stuck in its skin. So, it might be an effective form of defence.