Flora of Bangladesh

Korobi or Oleander ( Nerium oleander , family: Apocynaceae) is an evergreen shrub with branches, attaining a height of 2-3 m. The whole tree is full of milky latex. It is one of the best flowering garden plants in the tropical world. It is commonly seen in backyards, gardens, parks and botanical gardens in Bangladesh. It is also found in some countries of South and East Asia and in Mediterranean region. Leaves are dark green, linear-lanceolate, 10-15 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, opposite or entire, thick, narrowed at base and end. The upright leaves are mostly gathered at the end of the branches.  Flowers are showy and nice scented; red, pink or white in color, 3-5 cm wide, borne at the end of branches much in number. The number of petals may vary from plant  to plant. Single layered flowers contain 5 petals. These bloom mainly in summer to rainy season. These can be seen round the year too.  Fruit is a pod, linear-slender, 6-20 cm, dehiscent. Seeds are poisonous. Propagati...

Buddho narikel or Buddha coconut ( Pterygota alata , family: Sterculiaceae) is a large erect tree with branches, reaching up to 50 m in height. Trunk is huge and stout. Bark is smooth and  grey in color.  The deciduous mighty tree is found in the hilly forests of Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet of Bangladesh.  The tree is also found in South India, Sikkim and Andaman Islands. In Bangladesh it is planted in parks and botanical gardens as an ornamental plant.  Leaves are dark green, big, cordate, glabrous, 10-25 cm long and 7-20 cm wide, alternate; long-petioled: 10-14 cm long. Midrib and veins are clearly visible. Flowers are reddish inside, outside brownish yellow, scented, petals 5. It produces flowers in spring. Fruit is big, round, hard, dehiscent, dark brown in color. Seeds are winged, numerous. Fruit pulp tastes almost like Coconut.   The native plant is propagated by seeds. Seed is edible too. It...

Kurchi or Girimollika ( Holarrhena antidysenterica, family: Apocynaceae) is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree with branches, attaining a height of 6-7 m. Its bark is not smooth and slightly grey in color. The tree is one of the most beautiful flowering plants in Bangladesh. It is mainly found in the hilly areas as well as Sal forests in the country. The loving tree is native to Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh. Leaves are simple, green, glabrous, opposite, nearly sessile, elliptic-lanceolate with pointed apex, 4-20 cm long and 8-10 cm wide. Flowers are white, 2-4 cm wide, slightly tubular at base, scented, clustered. Sepals 5, petals 5.  Flowers bloom profusely at the beginning of spring. In this time no leaves can be found in the tree!    Fruits are cylindrical, borne in pair, 20-35 cm long, many-seeded. Propagation of the plant is caused by air layering and root sucker. It is grown in garden and parks as ...

Gaab or Indian persimmon ( Diospyros peregrina , family : Ebenaceae) is a short to medium-sized evergreen tree with spreading branches and dense leaves. Bark is blackish. The nice canopy-holder tree can be seen from Southeast Asia to Australia. It is found everywhere in Bangladesh. At the end of spring, the extraordinary red-brown leaves appear. This is one of the main characteristics of the plant. The entire tree looks great at that time. Leaves are simple, dark green, hard, smooth on upper side, petioled, alternate, lanceolate, 10-20 cm long and 4-7 cm wide. Leaves grow thickly on black branches. Flowers are white, scented, with 4 thick petals; sepals 4. The plant produces flowers in March-April.  Male and female flowers bloom separately. Female flowers usually grow singly from leaf axil while the male ones bloom in cluster on cyme inflorescence. 2-7 male flowers bloom together, while female ones bloom as singles on leaf axil. Male flowers are bigger and whit...