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...