Flora of Bangladesh

Parul or Fragrant padri tree ( Stereospermum chelonoides , family: Bignoniaceae) is a medium or large-sized deciduous tree with branches, attaining a height of 25 m. Young shoots are pubescent. Bark is grey.  About this flower, a kind of literary madness has been found for a long period of time among the Bengalees. Although it is mentioned numerous times in Bangla literature, the tree is quite difficult to find in Bangladesh.  The great news is, 5 of its trees are found in the courtyard of Bangladesh Security Printing Press School in Gajipur. India is the original home of the plant. Leaves are compound, 60 cm long; leaflets are entire, 5-11, deep green, glabrous, petioled, elliptic-oblong, 10-15 cm long and 3-6 cm wide, apex acuminate. Flowers are sweet-scented, purplish, yellow at center, campunulate, 3-5 cm long, curved at the base and bronze in color, on terminal panicle; corolla tubular with short petals, petals 5. Flower buds are black a...

Roshundi-lota or Garlic vine ( Mansoa alliacea , family: Bignoniaceae) is an evergreen extensive and bushy climber with dense foliage. It is recommended as a beautiful ornamental climber in the country. The climber has come from tropical America  Leaves are opposite, bipinnate or tripinnate. Leaflets are elliptic, 4-8 cm long, leathery, pointed at the end, producing an odour of garlic. The Bangla and English name have got this type of name due to the peculiar smell of leaves. Terminal leaflet is often modified into tendril.  Flowers are mauve in color, funnel-shaped with five expanded round lobes. Lower parts of the flower (tube) is creamy white. It blooms in large panicles in autumn-spring (Oct-Feb) and a few minor flushes in the summer (April-May) months in Bangladesh.  The plant is propagated by cuttings. Saplings also grow from the roots. This dazzling flowering climber is called Lota-parul in Bangla due to match with very controversial Parul ...