Flora of Bangladesh

Relandi or Cinderella weed (S ynedrella nodiflora , family: Compositae) is an annual erect herb about 1 m in height with dichotomous branching. The entire plant is hairy. The plant grows everywhere, especially in damp fallow land in Bangladesh as weed.  Leaves are hairy, simple, green, petioled, opposite, ovate-lanceolate or elliptical-ovate, 6-12 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, serrate, veins 3 running from bottom to apex. The upper leaves are smaller. Flowers are small, sessile, oblong, bright yellow, stalkless, borne on lateral or terminal head  inflorescence. The plant is propagated by seeds. The fruits of Cinderella. The people of Chittagong consume its leaves as vegetables. Its original home is tropical America . 

Rokto-dron or Red verticilla ( Leonurus sibiricus , family: Lamiaceae) is an annual herb from Shetodron family attaining a height of 90-110 cm with upright and quadrangular stem. It is usually found in crop fields in Bangladesh and is treated as weed. The plant is native to Indian subcontinent.  Other local names: Gumajoma, Jajura, Goma, Dibbopushpi, Shupushpa, Hejurchi, Chitropotrika. Leaves are dark green, opposite, petioled. The leaves of its upper part are simple, lanceolate and linear but in lower parts those are divided into few parts, almost palmate.  Flowers are tubular, small, pink with violet shade with permanent calyx, clustered on inflorescence verticillaster. Petals are bilipped or bilabiate. Fruits are four-seeded, 1-1.5 cm long. It is propagated by seeds.  Though the plant is not recognized as ornamental, but its flowers are very eye-catching indeed. Flowers and fruits are seen throughout the year. White-co...

Choto hurhuri or   Fringed spider flower   ( Cleome rutidosperma , family: Cleomaceae) is a small-sized annual herb with branches up to 1 m height. The plant is native to tropical Africa and has become naturalized in the tropical and sub-tropical world. It grows on fallow land as weed in Bangladesh. Common names: Choto hurhuri, Fringed spider flower, Purple cleome. The plant flowers round the year.  Flowers are pink, white, lilac, violet or blue, single, on leaf axil. Sepals 4, petals 4, stamens 6. Leaves are trifoliate, middle one long, light green. Leaflets are glabrous, 4-7 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. Fruit is capsule, 4-7 cm long, tubular, narrow at both ends, with an array of seeds.  Cleome rutidosperma keeps fruiting throughout the year, although most abundantly in the rainy season in Bangladesh. The seed contains alkaloid.  The leaves are collected from the wild and eaten as a cooked vegetable or added to soup. Propaga...

Akondo or Crown flower ( Calotropis gigantea , family: Apocynaceae) is a perennial shrub with branches and milky latex, attaining a height of 5 m. Bark is grey. The stem is slightly wooody and much branched at the base. Some plants have been found whose trunks are quite hard and woody and those look like small-sized trees.  Common names:  Akkan, Madar. Young shoots and lower part of leaves are tomentose. The plant is an iconic one in the rural areas in Bangladesh. It is found in several countries in South and Southeast Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Branches and leaves emit milk when snapped. Leaves are whitish green, leathery, short-petioled or sessile, broadly ovate, 10-20 cm long and 6-12 cm wide, tip slightly pointed.  For video please visit :   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH5nOu16vYw&t=37s Flowers are light violet with white shade. Sepals 5, petals 5.  Flowers are seen round the ye...

Bhat  or   Hill glory bower  (C lerodendrum viscosum , family: Verbenaceae) is an annual shrub attaining a height of 2 -4  metre.  It grows on fallow land as weed everywhere in Bangladesh.  It is a l s o  found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world particularly in Bangladesh & India. Common names:  Bhat, Ghetu, Bhatphul, Hill glory bower Hill glory bower  flowers are white,  scented, borne on terminal panicle.  Sepals 5, light green, petals 5. Lower parts of petals are brushed with red color. Stamens are much longer than petals. F lowerin g o ccurs in spring. Leaves are bi g , dark green, petioled, ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 cm long & 2.5 -7 cm. wide, alternate.  Fruit is a drupe, purplish blue, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter. The plant is used in malaria, chronic fever, skin disease, pain, insect bite. In worm & louse infection it is also used.