Flora of Bangladesh

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 fr...

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 tre...

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 ...

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, Kerola, Chingri-dol, Kutkute jhanjhi. 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.  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 Austr...