Flora of Bangladesh

Shet-chondon or Sandalwood (S antalum album , family: Santalaceae) is a medium-sized evergreen tree with upright branches. Bark is dark grey and rough. It is a slow-growing tree. Its trunk increases by 15-20 cm across in 30-40 years! It is considered as a sacred plant. Its timber is aromatic. Brownish heartwood is strongly scented. Sapwood is white. Indian subcontinent is the original home of the precious plant. Leaves usually opposite, simple, coriaceous, elliptic, 5-7 cm long, almost acute at the end. Inflorescence is usually cymose panicle on the axils of leaves at the end of the branches. Flowers are very small, whitish or purplish. Flowering occurs from June-October. Fruit is a drupe, fleshy, round, violet in color. Seed globose. Propagation is caused by seeds. Essential oil is obtained from the wood and roots. A kind of viscid oil is also obtained from its seeds too. It is analgesic, diuretic, deodorant and depurative. It is an antidote to...

Bel or Wood apple ( Aegle marmelos , Rutaceae) is a spiny deciduous tree with many branches, attaining a height of 10-12 m. Bark is grey, soft. The tree has been regarded as sacred plant to Hindu community. The medium-sized tree is a very popular homestead tree.  It has been planted in Hindu temples in the subcontinent for thousand of years. The leafy tree can be planted by roads and highways and in park and gardens as an ornamental plant.  Leaves are tri-foliate, wild-scented, alternate, green. There are hard thorns at the bottom of leaves. Leaves fall off in summer. Leaflet is lanceolate, 8-10 cm long and 4-6 cm wide. Flowers are white with greenish touch, bisexual, sweet-scented. Petals 4, fleshy, calyx shortened, stamens numerous. Flowers bloom in March-May.  Fruits are round, big, woody, edible, sweet-scented. The fruit matures for almost 8 months after the flowering occurs. Propagation is by seeds. It has a valuable medicina...