return to: checklist; keys; family Cochlospermaceae

Cochlospermum vitifolium Willd. ex Spreng.; chum

Tree; bark longitudinally furrowed, the furrows becoming progressively deeper with age; leaves alternate, simple, palmately lobed, base cordate, margins toothed, apex acuminate; inflorescence terminal; flowers showy, bright yellow, ca 10 cm in diam; fruit a 5-valved capsule; seeds numerous, hairy.

Additional images:

• leaves (photographed near San Anselmo)
• bark (younger tree)
• bark (older tree)

Typically flowers are produced while the plant is leafless towards the end of the dry season. The wood is weak but the bark yields a tough fiber (Standley 1930).