Flora of Bangladesh

Congea or Wooly congea ( Congea tomentosa , family: Lamiaceae) is a woody and extensive creeper, covering with shaggy hair in young shoots and branches. Its beauty during the flowering season is so unique that it surpasses many other plants in the garden. This beauty is mainly for its surprising and unique bractioles.  Although it is not indigenous to Bangladesh but it is originated in neighboring India, Myanmar and Malaysia as well some of the countries of Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh it is found in parks and botanical gardens as an ornamental plant. Leaves are simple, 10-12 cm long and 5-10 cm wide, entire, short petioled, opposite, ovate-lanceolate. There are dense hairs on both sides of the leaf, more on the underside. Rough branch of the inflorescence bears 3-9 flowers. There are small velvety bracts at the bottom of the inflorescence and three bractioles at the top of it, taking the shape of the cup. Sepals 5, bilabiate, tubular, with dense hair. S...

Padauk or Malay padauk ( Pterocarpus indicus, family: Fabaceae) is a large deciduous tree with spreading and drooping branches, attaining a height of 20-40 m. Bark is almost smooth and grey. In early summer the tree floods its entire body with yellow flowers. But those only last for one day. The next day there are no flowers left on the tree. It is found in the hilly areas of Chottogram Division. It is also found in Myanmar, India, Malaysia as well as other Southeast Asian countries. Leaves are imparipinnate (having single leaflet at the pinnate's end), glossy green, oval-lanceolate, undulate. Leaflet is 5-9, 8-10 cm long and 4-6 cm wide.  Flowers are highly scented. Those are small, in terminal inflorescence, yellow-colored. It blooms 3 times a year.  Fruit is round and flat, papery, 3-5 cm wide, indehiscent, single-seeded. It has feather, and because of this it can float in the air and spread far and wide. Propagation is caused by seeds and c...

Pipul  or  Long piper  ( Piper longum , family: Piperaceae) is an annual creeper or trailer with beautiful leaves. It is a very popular medicinal herb of Indian subcontinent. It is found here and there in Bangladesh. It is also found in South and Southeast Asia. Being a quite lovely trailer, it can be planted in the gardens and parks. Other names:  Pipola, Pipul-mool, Pipul-morich. Leaves are simple, glabrous, dark green, cordate, 5-8 cm long and 4-6 cm wide, petioled, alternate, veins palmately designed. When crused they emit greasy substances which is used as drink and cure for jaundice. Flowers are slender and upright, whitish green, yellowish or orange, comes from leaf axil, and additionaly it is to said that it comes from the opposite direction of a leaf. Male and female flowers appear on separate plants. Flowering occurs in Autumn. Fruit is long, green, becomes red when ripe and black when dry. Seeds are round. Fruit is stomachic, ...

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 as...

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 ...

Parul or Fragrant padri tree ( Stereospermum chelonoides , family: Bignoniaceae) is a medium or large-sized deciduous tree with branches, attaining a height of 25 m. Young shoots are pubescent. Bark is grey.  About this flower, a kind of literary madness has been found for a long period of time among the Bengalees. Although it is mentioned numerous times in Bangla literature, the tree is quite difficult to find in Bangladesh.  The great news is, 5 of its trees are found in the courtyard of Bangladesh Security Printing Press School in Gajipur. India is the original home of the plant. Leaves are compound, 60 cm long; leaflets are entire, 5-11, deep green, glabrous, petioled, elliptic-oblong, 10-15 cm long and 3-6 cm wide, apex acuminate. Flowers are sweet-scented, purplish, yellow at center, campunulate, 3-5 cm long, curved at the base and bronze in color, on terminal panicle; corolla tubular with short petals, petals 5. Flower buds are black a...

Koinari or Golden gardenia  ( Gardenia coronaria , family: Rubiaceae) is a medium-sized deciduous tree with profuse branches at the top. The tree can get a height of  12-15 m. It is found in the hilly areas of Sylhet, Chottogram and Chottogram Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.  Leaves are simple, glossy green, oblong-lanceolate, 10-20 cm long, short-petioled, 3-5 opposite leaves at the top of the branchlets. Veins and midrib are stout in texture. Flowers are yellow, very fragrant, showy, 5-7 cm across, petals 5, having long tube, calyx tubular too. Flower blooms at the spring. Fruit appears single or in a pair, 2-5 cm long, 5-angled. The plant is propagated by seeds. The tree, despite being quite beautiful not so popular in our country. Its wood is used as firewood. The inside of the fruit is eaten by the children. It is found abundantly in India and Myanmar. It is grown in the parks and botanical gardens in the country.  

Keora or Mangrove apple (S onneratia apetala , family: Lythraceae) is a medium-sized evergreen tree with aerial roots and drooping branches, attaining a height of 15 m. The bark of the mangrove tree is black and smooth. Needless to say, the leafy tree is salt tolerant. The fast growing tree is found through the tidal forests of Bangladesh, Myanmar and India.   Leaves are simple, 5-10 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide, oblong-lanceolate, coriacous, shinny, tapering at the end, short-petioled. Flowers are greenish white, terminal, single to 3-5 flowers, petal-less, articled with cup-shaped sepal, divided into 4 parts; pedicel long; stamens numerous, style is very much projected from the flower. Flowering occurs from March-August. Fruit is big in size, round-shaped, crowned with persistent sepals. Surprisingly true, seeds germinate on the tree. In fact, the tree is located in the water or in waterside area. So she had to take this kind of act...

Chondromala, Kumudini or Crested floating-heart ( Nymphoides cristatum , family: Menyanthaceae) is an aquatic flowering plant with long branches. The branches of the floating herb reach the surface of the water. Roots grow from nodes. Other names: Pan shiuli, Pan-shimli, Chandmala, Panjuli.  It is a common aquatic plant of Bangladesh and found throughout the country's beel-jheel, canal and pond along with Water spinach , Keshordam (Creeping water primrose), Bladderwort and Alligator weed . It is also found in India, China and some countries of Southeast Asia.     Leaves are simple, orbicular, deeply cordate, purplish at the edge, veins are green and spread like nets. The sepals is not adjacent to the petals, almost divided. Flowers are white with yellow centre, petals 5, adjacent, glabrous. Each lobe has a crest down the middle of each lobe. Fruit is a capsule, broadly ovoid, subglobose. Seeds 10-20, pale yellowish brown. 

Bon-moricha or Pigeon berry ( Rivina humilis , family: Petiveriaceae) is an erect perennial herb with soft but slightly woody at base, attaining 1 m of height. The plant is easily recognizable by its brilliant red-colored fruits.  It can be planted in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant. The original home of the plant is USA (Florida to Texas). It is now naturalized in Bangladesh and India.  Leaves are dark green, simple, petioled, 2.5 cm long; alternate, ovate-oblong with narrow and elongated apex.   The hermaphrodite flowers are small, white with pedicel, on axillary, rarely terminal, many flowered racemes. Flowering occurs from August to April in Bangladesh. Fruit is berry, almost round, attractive, blood red.  

Shal or Sal ( Shorea robusta , family: Dipterocarpaceae) is a large and deciduous robust tree with straight trunk and few branches at the top, usually 20-40 m high. Wood is reddish brown. The tree is found in Gazipur, Tangail, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Rongpur and Comilla in Bangladesh. Leaves are simple, alternate, glossy green, leathery, ovate-oblong with pointed apex, base rounded or cordate, 15-20 cm and 5-10 cm wide; petioles 2 cm. long. Flowers are very small, petals 5, yellowish orange, soft and hairy, borne on large panicle. Flowers blooms in March-April. Fruit is brown-colored nut with 5 unequal linear wings, 5-7 cm long. propagated by fresh seeds and also from newly grown seedlings those grown from the base of the tree. For this reason, Shal is also called Gojari. Shal is a commercial timber tree in Bangladesh. Its timber is robust and used as pole, boat, railway sleeper, furniture. Burning leaves produce a kind of aroma. So cigar can be made f...