Flora of Bangladesh

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...

Bokphul or Vegetable hummingbird ( Sesbania grandiflora , family: Fabaceae) is a small soft-wooded tree with spreading branches, attaining a height of 10 m. Trunk is straight and tall, brownish and smooth. It is found in Madhupur forest of the country. The deciduous tree is grown in homestead and in parks and gardens for its outstanding eye-catching flowers. The tree itself  is a beautiful one. Leaves are paripinnate, 10-25 pairs of leaflets perpinnae. Leaflets are small, linear, light green, 2-4 cm long. Inflorescence is short axillary raceme. Flowers are red, white or light pink, ending portion is curved, like Heron's beak. It blooms profusely from September to November but found almost throughout the year in limited range. Fruit is linear pod with 30 seeds; almost a metre long, dehiscent. The plant is propagated by seeds. The whole plant is used as medicine. Bark is used as tonic and to prevent chicken pox. Root is used in rheumatism and gonorrh...

Ramjani or Wild berry ( Maesa indica , family: Primulaceae) is a large and much-branched shrub or small tree, attaining a height about 2 m. Wood is soft, brown in color. The wild flowering species grows on fallow land as well as the deep forest of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet.  Leaves are simple, light green, alternate, elliptic-lanceolate, 6-17 cm long and 3-6 cm wide, deeply serrated, apex pointed, base rounded. Flowers are small, campanulate, scented, white but single tiny yellow mark on each petal, borne on raceme inflorescence. Flowers occur in the January-March.  Fruits are small, round, yellow in color, fleshy with several seeds. Fruiting begins from March. Propagation of the plant is caused by seeds.  Wood is used as fuel. Fruit and bark are used in fish-poison. Leaves are used in cooking somewhere.