Parul or Fragrant padri tree, Stereospermum chelonoides

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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 and deep purple and it is one of the most characteristics of the tree. Fruit is capsule, 25-50 cm cm long and 1.4-2 cm wide, brown or purplish. The plant is propagated by seeds.  


Flowering occurs in the beginning of the summer. The bisexual flowers bloom continuously for about a month. Numerous flowers can be seen at this time with new leaves.  


It is a tree of medicinal quality. Its wood is quite precious. It is mentioned in Sanskrit literature as Patala, Parul, Bashanta-duti, Krishna-brinta, Ali-priya etc.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 25, 2022 at 7:58 PM

    Though there is attempts to use nonconventional English words in the articles of this site, It is clear that the
    literary bond of sentences ar so poor. It’s seems like word to word translation from Bangla.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zinia NasrinApril 19, 2023 at 11:47 PM

    Very very nice photography.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 14, 2024 at 6:59 PM

    Where this plant available in India?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mohammad AliMarch 15, 2024 at 9:38 PM

    Please check your nearest Botanical Gardens at once. The tree can be found in Shibpur Botanical Garden at West Bengal.

    ReplyDelete

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