Cochlospermum religiosum

Cochlospermum religiosum is a flowering plant from the tropical region of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is a small tree growing to a height of 7.5 m (25 ft) usually found in dry deciduous forests. The name religiosum derives from the fact that the flowers are used as temple offerings. It is also known as silk-cotton tree because the capsules containing the seeds have a fluffy cotton-like substance similar to kapok. Another common name is buttercup tree because its yellow and bright flowers look like large-sized buttercups. In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the nineteenth Buddha, who was named "Siddhaththa" (Sinhala script: "සිද්ධත්ථ"). The plant is known as කිණිහිරියා (Kinihiriyaa) in the Sinhala language, and කණිකාර (Kanikaara) in Sanskrit.