Like its more popular cousin, the pink Floss Silk Tree, this one has a green and variably spiny trunk. This species almost always has a very spiny trunk, while you can find many C. speciosas with smooth green trunks. The main visible difference between the two are the showy white flowers, with a golden throat. This deciduous tropical from Brazil and Argentina is mostly seen as a small tree. It has pale green leaves palmately divided into 5-7 pointed leaflets. After blooming, pear shaped fruits appear which have a silky floss on the seeds, hence the name.