Flora of Bangladesh

Bon-jam or Kak-jam ( Syzygium fruticosum , family: Myrtaceae) is a small or medium-sized tree with short trunk and glabrous all of its parts, attaining a height of 10 m. Bark is greyish brown. The tree looks a lot like Black plum,  Syzygium cumini but is small in size. The plant is native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, China and Thailand. It is found in village area, parks and gardens and forest margins in the country. Other local name: Buti-jam   Leaves are dark green with clear midrib and numerous lateral nerves, coriaceous, undulated, oblong-lanceolae, 6-12 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, apex acuminated, base rounded, petioled, opposite. Flowers are in cluster on cyme inflorescence, up to 8 cm long. Flowers are white, stamens numerous, tiny, sessile.  Fruit is a edible berry, globose, ellipsoid, 5-9 mm long. These are deep purple when ripe. Flowering occurs in summer (Apr-May). Fruit ripens in rainy season. The plant is propagated by seeds. Its fruits are frequently cons...

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...

Jaam or Black plum  ( Syzygium cumini , family: Myrtaceae) is a medium or large-sized evergreen with spreading and upright branches. The trunk is straight, grey in color and rough. The fruits of the plant is very juicy, nice-colored, tasty and nutritious too. It is a very common tree in Bangladesh. The plant is an evergreen and shadow-giving tree. So it is planted in parks and gardens and beside the avenue and highways. It is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia as well as Australia. The original home of the plant is considered as India.   Other names: Indian black berry, Jamun, Jambu Leaves are simple, green, glabrous, coriaceous, ovate-oblong, 6-15 cm long and 3-9 cm wide, apex pointed, alternate, petioled. Propagation of the plant is caused by seeds and cuttings.  Fruits, roots, leaves, seeds and barks are used in dysentery, diabetes, cough, high blood pressure and lever diseases. A kind of wine can be produced from it...