Flora of Bangladesh

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.  

Mushok-dana or Musk-mallow ( Abelmoschus moschatus , family: Malvaceae) is a perennial erect herb or undershrub attaining a height of 3 m. Stem is cylindrical and reddish. Young shoots, pedicel and petiole are retrorsely (opposite direction) hairy. The plant almost looks similar to popular vegetable Okra (abelmoschus esculentus). It is found near the water bodies, fallow lands, roadside areas and forest edges in Bangladesh. It is also found in India as well as Southeast Asia. The another Bangla name of the plant is Kala-kosturi. Lower leaves are angular, upper palmately lobed, dark green, oblong-lanceolate, ovate, 20-24 cm long, serrate or dented, hairy on both sides. Leaf-base has a crown-like portion. Petiole is very long.  Flower axillay, solitary and in terminal clusters. They are big, light yellow with dark purple center, petals 5, unequal; corolla 10 cm across. Epicalyx segments 6-10, linear-lanceolate. Flowering occurs in the rainy season. F...