Abstract: International audience; Among the 18 species included in the Ceiba genus in the Malvaceae (Bombacoideae) family, Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. is not only the tallest and most widespread but also occupies the most prominent place in Neotropical cosmovisions. In this ethnobotanical review, we compare perceptions and uses of Ceiba and related species across Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures ranging from the Caribbean to the Argentinian Chaco. Ceiba’s widely shared role as axis mundi (particularly in Amazonia), psychopomp, and as a shelter ...
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Topics: 
Botany
Ecology