Flora of Bangladesh

Tulsi o r Sacred basil ( Ocimum tenuiflorum , family: Lamiaceae) is an odorous perennial herb or undershrub with many branches attaining a height of 1-15 m. Almost whole body of the plant is covered with hairs. Stem is woody furrowed and quadrangular. Like many other herbs (Dhutra, Begun, Pepper) the plant can be purple. It is found everywhere in Bangladesh as a medicinal as well as sacred plant to Hindu community. It has spread across a huge global range, extending from the Arabian Peninsula to East Asia as well as Pacific Islands to Australia.  Other names: Kalo tulsi (Bang); Tulasi, Ajaka (Sans); Holy basil (Eng).  Leaves are strongly scented, green or purple, hairy, ovate-broadly elliptical, 2-5 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide, opposite, irregularly dented, petiole 2-3 cm long.  Flowers are tiny, white or purplish, 3-8 on terminal inflorescence (12-25 cm long). Corolla bilabiate, petals 5, calyx divided into two parts, Stamens 4. It produces flower almost round the year.  Fruit is nut

Bon akra or Burbush ( Triumfetta rhomboidea , family: Tiliaceae) is an annual or perennial undershrub with woody stem and few branches, attaining a height of 1-1.5 m. Bark is smooth and brownish. Young shoots are reddish and covered with soft hairs. It is found beside roads, fallow lands and slopes of hill. Its origin is probably tropical America. It is now well-adapted to tropical Africa and Asia. However it has been identified as an invasive plant all over the world. Common names: Bon okra (Bang); Chinese bur, Burweed (Eng). Leaves are variable, ovate-lanceolate or 3-lobed, 3-10 cm long. 3-7 veins, acute at end, base rounded, irregularly dented, petiole long, alternate. Flowers are in terminal inflorescence, 3-4, yellow. Petals 5, sepals 5.   Fruit is bristly capsule, rounded or ovoid, dark brown, tiny, covered with thorn-like hairs, dehiscent. Its dried fruits get stuck in the body of human or cattle due to this kind of hairs. Its Bangla name 'Bon akra' is probably derive

Kath-shola or Budda pea ( Aeschynomene indica , Family: Fabaceae) is a woddy annual or perennial erect undershrub with some narrow and slender branches and sensative leaves, attaining a height of 1 to 1.5 m. Stem is corky, greenish and glabrous. It loves to grow near the water bodies and in ditches, fallow lands and muddy soil in Bangladesh. It is also found throughout Asia. Other names: Shola (Bang); Indian jointvetch (Eng).  Leaves are light green, compound, bipinnate; blades 40-60, tiny, linear-oblong, alternate, petiole short, no veins except the midrib. In the absence of sunlight, the leaves curl up like most other members of Fabaceae. Flowering occurs in rainy season. These are in axillary raceme, 2-4, tiny, reddish yellow, 1-1.5 cm long. Sepals 5 with connecting 2-lipped calyx. Upper part of the calyx is entire, lower entire or 3-lobed. Corolla caducous, two times larger than calyx. Peduncle and pedicel are glutinous and slightly hairy.     Fruit is legume, linear, smooth or

Thankuni  or  Asiatic pennywort  ( Centella asiatica , family: Umbelliferae) is an aquatic perennial herb with runner or stolon whose roots and leaves grows from each of its node. Stems are slender or slightly angular, green, sometimes reddish, soft, juicy and slightly hairy when young. The prostate or creeping plant is found everywhere near the water bodies, ditches and wet soils in Bangladesh. It is one of the traditional medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent. The plant is native to South and Southeast Asia. Nowadays it has adapted itself to other tropics. Other names: Thulkuri, Bromhobuti, Bromhokuti, Bromhoruti, Dolmanik, Dolpata (Bang); Manduki, Mandukparni (Sans); Indian pennywort, Spadeleaf (Eng). Leaves are in clusters, 1-4, green, blade rounded with regularly serrated edge and palmate veins, 1-3 cm long and 1.5-6 cm wide, cordate at base, petoles are up to 10 cm long. Flower are small, white-reddish, 3-6 on umbel inflorescence with long peduncle. Propagation of the aqua

Shonkorjota or Prishniparni ( Uraria picta , family: Fabaceae) is a semi-woody erect herb with some velvety branches, attaining a height of 1-2 m. Its flowers and leaves are beautiful and bracts are stunning. The perennial undershrub is very importantly mentioned in the Ayurvedic scriptures as an medicinal plant. The plant itself is quite beautiful. It is found in fallow lands, village thickets and medicinal gardens in Bangladesh. Outside the country, it is found from some countries of tropical Africa and Asia to Australia.  The plant can be easily identified by its unique leaves. The midrib of blade has long white spot from the tip to the base, which is called variegated. However, complete green leaves may also be found in some plants of this species. These are linear-oblong, imparipinnate (solitary blade at the top of a pinna), 3-9 blades, firm and coriaceous, 8-20 cm long, base rounded, apex acute. The upper part is hairless, lower part covered with rough hairs. Petiole 3-6 cm lon