Flora of Bangladesh

Shotomuli or Shatawari (Asparagus racemosus, family: Asparagaceae) Is a perennial creeping shrub with numerous branches. The spectacular bushy and extensive shrub is thorny. Sometimes thorne is about 1-3 cm long. It can extend far beyond by holding something. The plant has a large number of whitish tubers. For this reason in Bangla, it is called as Shotomuli (the plant of numerous roots).  

Other names: Bohumula, Keshika, Shoto-netrika, Tejbolli, Modhura, Climbing asparagus (Eng).
It is a renowned herbal plant of Indian subcontinent. This is much appreciated in ancient Ayurveda. It is found mainly in the Sal forest of Modhupur and the Swamp forest of Ratargul, Sylhet in Bangladesh. It is also found in India and Sri Lanka.

Leaves are bright green, linear, those are called cladophyll. Cladophyll is leaf-like tiny branches. During the winter all its leaves fall off.

Raceme inflorescence bears many small and whitish flowers. Petals 5. Flowering occurs in autumn.  Fruits are pea-like, red, …

Lungichor or Running Mountain Grass (Oplismenus compositus, family: Poaceae) is a perennial grass with spectacular leaves and inflorescence, attaining a height of 20-120 cm. It trails on ground by growing roots from the hairy nodes. 

It is found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, South America and Australia. It is found in shady and damp places of forest in Bangladesh.

Leaves are green, hairy, lanceolate-ovate, 3-12 cm long, pointed apex, sessile, undulate.

Flowering occurs in the autumn to late autumn. Raceme inflorescence 10-25 cm long. Lower florets are barren, Upper florets bisexual. Fruits are linear, tiny. When spikelets become dry, they try to touch passing animals and this way they complete the  propagation.

The leaves of the plant are beautiful. So it can be planted in gardens, parks and road islands. Gohur is the another Bangla name of the plant.

Kajuput or Weeping paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra, family: Myrtaceae) is a medium-sized evergreen tree with narrow and drooping branches, up to 30 m. in height. Bark is thick and white and it has papery scales all over its body. It relieves papery scales all the year round. The beautiful tree is native to Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea & Australia. The exotic tree is planted in Parks and botanical gardens in Bangladesh.  

Leaves are linear, lanceolate, light green, 10-15 cm long & 1-2 cm wide.

Flowers are borne in spike florescence, florets are small, sessile, creamy white, 8-15 cm long. Flowers bloom in June-July.



Fruit is capsule with thin skin. Seeds numerous. 


The flowers and fruits are very much like a Bottlebrush. Propagation is by seeds and cuttings. It is difficult to collect seedlings from the sown seeds; it probably needs the help of a special fungus.

Its bark's juice is used as germicide. Oil made from it used in rheumatism, toothache, stomach disorder, …

Orun or Scarlet cordia (Cordia sebestena) is a small tree reaching a height of 5-8 m with branches. The original home of the plant is tropical America. It is found especially in Central America, Florida of USA and the Caribbean islands. It is famous for its spectacular orange-colored flowers throughout the tropical world. 

Leaves are elliptical, dark green, undulate, 15-25 cm long, petioled, opposite, rough and hairy, apex blunt. Petiole is about 2.5 cm long. 


Flowers are showy, scarlet orange, 5-5.5 cm wide, tubular in the lower part, borne loosely on racemes at the tip of the branches. Petals are much bigger than the sepals. Petals 5-6. Flowers bloom throughout the year but profusely during Jan-March. 

Fruits are pear-shaped, almost like small-sized Guava, scented, 5-6 cm long. Those are edible but tasteless.

The plant is propagated from seeds. It is planted in gardens, parka and botanical gardens in Bangladesh. The beautiful exotic tree is gradually gaining popularity in this countr…

Boga or White tephrosia (Tephrosia candida, Fabaceae) is an erect shrub with branches attaining a height of 4 m. Upright branches grow from the stem base. Woody stem is velvety, greyish. In Bangladesh, it is found in the tea gardens of Moulovibazar and in parks and botanical gardens. 
Other names:Medla, Bogui.
Leaves are pale green, compound, pinnate; leaflets 9-11 pairs, opposite.

Flowers are borne in terminal or axillary Inflorescences, 20-40 cm long. Flowers are are brilliant white, sometimes yellow or pink; petals clawed, round, wings ovate, sightly adnate, 2-2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. Calix is bell-shaped. Flowering season is autumn. The species name 'Candida' is kept due to its pure white-colored flowers.

Fruits are like beans, linear, covered with brown hair, 8-15 cm long and 1 cm wide; dehiscent, 8-15-seeded. Flowers and fruits can be seen at a time. Propagation is caused by seeds.

Leaves are used for relief from cough and asthma. Seeds contain rutin, rotanone, source o…

Boro bet or Osier-like rattan palm (Calamaus viminalis, family: Araceae) is a clump forming spiny large creeper, occasionally takes the form of bushes. Spines are flat and very long. By the support of other plants it climbs. Stem is slender, like most of the canes; brownish and covered with thorny sheath. 

It is found mainly in the hill slopes of Chottogram, Chottogram Hill Tracts and Sylhet. It is also found in the Sal forests of Bangladesh. It has spiny climbing stem or tendrils to climb on; that will be 2-3 m long. Leaf sheath whitish green, pubescent, densely covered with hook-like stout spines. Rachis 1-2 m long. Leaflets are green, lanceolate, 30-55 in per side, alternate.

In Sal forest of Gajipur
Inflorescence is very long, 2-3 m, flagellate. Male and female flowers are borne in different inflorescence; female is shorter than male.


Fruits appear in cluster; berry, usually globose, yellowish or whitish, almost 1 cm in diameter, pointed end, covered with scale-like particles one a…

Jhanjhi or Water thyme (Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrocharitaceae) is many branched submerged herb with slender stem. The aquatic plant is treated as weed to paddy field in Bangladesh. It is found abundantly in river, haor, canal, beel-jheel and pond in the country. 
Other Bangla names: Kureli, Kanjal.

Leaves are green,  linear, sometimes having  reddish dots or dashes on them, .5-2 cm long, serrate, pointed apex, sessile. Male spathe axillary in one or all leaves of a whorl. Male flowers born in spathe in single. Sometimes 

Flowers can be seen floating in the water when released from the spathe; perianth reddish white. Female spathe with apex, shortly bidentate, perianth slender,long, tubular. Flowering occurs in winter.

Fruit is echinate, smooth or soft. Seeds 2-6, ellipsoid, glabrous, dark brown. The plant is propagated by seeds. It is found in South and Southeast Asia, East Europe, Africa and Australia too.