Flora of Bangladesh

Kew or Crepe ginger ( Cheilocostus speciosus , family: Zingiberaceae) is a rhizomatous annual or perennial shrub, attaining a height of 2 to 4 m, with clump-forming stems. It is found almost everywhere in Bangladesh. It usually grows well in damp places. The plant itself a beautiful one. The gardeners of the country cultivate this plant for its clean white large flowers. Other names : Kustha, Kiumool, Bondugi, Kura, Kedogi (Chakma). Leaves are stalkless, downy, entire, big in size (18-24 cm), leathery, ovate-elliptical, about 10-20 cm long. Flowers are short-lived, very showy, trumpet-shaped, pure white in color, and have round yellow mark in the centre. Each flower is half-covered by brilliant red bract. The flowers begin to blossom at the end of the monsoon.  Fruit is a capsule. Mature or dry fruits are brown or reddish. Propagation of the good-looking plant is caused by seed or division of rhizomes.  Stem is used in heart disease, lep...

Sotthi or  Zedoary ( Curcuma zedoaria , family: Zingiberaceae) is a perennial herb with underground tubers. It is the closest relative of Turmeric. Needless to say, the characteristics of the two are almost the same. The underground tuber or rhizome is Camphor -scented and white-colored, spreading like Ginger or Turmeric. It is native to South and Southeast Asia. It is found in the rural area, Sal forests and the foothills of hilly areas in Bangladesh.     Other names: Shoti, Shuvodra, Shoumya, Polashika, Shugondhomula (Bang); White turmeric (Eng). Leaves arise from the tubers. Leaves are glabrous, about1 m long, narrow at the petiole. Flower blooms in spring-summer. At this time, when it rains a little, a fairy, quite long receptacle (inflorescence stick; about 50 cm long) come out from the rhizome. The bracts in receptacle are purplish and greenish. Although the whole receptacle looks like a flower, the flowers are actually quite small, bloom in the lap...