Flora of Bangladesh

Kuchai or Konoklota ( Caesalpinia enneaphylla , family: Caesalpiniaceae) is a woody scandent shrub or bushy climber with profuse branches and bipinnate leaves. Branches are scattered, dark browish and filled with neumerous dots and stout and hook-like spines. In Bangladesh it is found beside the streams and on hill slopes in Sylhet, Chattogram and Chattogram Hill Tracts. It is also found in Indian subcontinent and China as well as South and Southeast Asia.  Leaves are beautiful to look at; compound, bipinnate, rachis 20-30 cm long, pinnae 8-12 pairs, opposite; leaflets are tiny, elliptic-oblong, 8-10 pairs, opposite, 1.5-2.5 cm long. The fragrant flowers are bright yellow, in terminal or auxillary panicles, bloom periodically from bottom to top, up to 30 cm long. Flowers 1.5-3 cm long; petals 2-lobed, sepals 5, stamens 10. Flowering occurs from August to October. Fruit is a legume, elliptic-oblong, 7-11 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. Seeds 4-6. Young pods are red-colored. The plant is ...

Krishnachura or Royal poinciana ( Delonix regia , family: Fabaceae) is a large deciduous ornamental tree with spreading crownn. It is one of the most spectacular flowering trees in the tropicular world. When the blooming begins, a miraculous beauty is reflected throughout the tree.  Other names:   Peacock flower tree, Flamboyant, Flame of the forest, Flame tree. It is planted in gardens and parks and beside the roads and highways. In fact, it is planted everywhere in Bangladesh. Its original home is Madagascar. The tree is brought to the country from Mauritius in 1812, perhaps through Christian missionary. In India, it is called 'Gulmohar' (Golden seal). Leaves are beautiful. Those are bipinnate, large, about 1 m long, pinnae 11-18 pairs, leaflets up to 20, tiny, 1 cm long. Flower arise in broad erect clusters at the end of the leafless branches. Sepals 5, petals 5, orange-red in color, except the other one which bears yellow or white stripes. It blooms i...

Radhachura or   Peacock flower  ( Caesalpinia pulcherrima , family: Leguminosae) is a small-sized thorny shrub attaining a height of 4-5 m. The plant is originally of America. It has become naturalized throughout the tropical world for its beautiful flowers. Common names:  Peacock flower, Red bird of paradise. Leaves are compound, bipinnate, small linear leaflets arranged on both sides of pinnae.  On individual shrub, there are two colors of flowers─one is orange-yellow, another is complete yellow. Flower blooms round the year. Flowers are small, borne on terminal raceme. Sepals 5, petals 5. Pedicel and stamens are prominently long. Fruit is 7-10 cm long. Bark, flower and seeds are used in piles, tumor, nausea, fever, worm and menstrual disorder.