Flora of Bangladesh

Horina or Boro horina ( Lepisanthes rubiginosa , family: Sapindaceae) is a small tree with branches, attaining a height of 15 m. It is found in village thickets in Bangladesh. It is also found in South and Southeast Asia and in Australia. The little leafy tree is a beautiful one. It can be planted as an ornamental plant beside roads, in parks and gardens. Leaves are paripinnate (leaves are in pair in a pinnae), Leaflets 6-12, opposite or almost opposite, pale green in color, ovate-oblong, 5-15 cm long and 3-8 cm wide.   Inflorescence 15-30 cm long. Flowers are sweet-scented, very small, brownish white or yellowish, terminal; peatls 4, sepals 4. These bloom in March-April. Fruit is round, 1-3-lobed, almost glabrous, 1-1.5 cm long. When ripe, the fruits turn blackish. Before ripening, the fruits gradually turn yellow and red. And this is one of the easiest ways to detect the tree.  Fruits are sweet-tasted. Children love these. These are fa...

Boichi or Madagascar plum ( Flacourtia indica , family: Flacourtiaceae) is a spiny shrub with numerous branches, attaining a height of 2-3 m. Bark is grey and rough. Young leaves and shoots are reddish. There are numerous long and sharp spines all over the body of this leafy shrub. It is found in village thickets, in deep forest and the edge of water bodies in Bangladesh. Globally it is found in many Asian countries, tropical Africa and Madagascar.   Other names:  Baichha, Tamabot, Bunj, Dungkhoir, Beuchi, Kanta-bohuri, Bongkui-kanta, Bon-khoi. The size and shape of leaves vary from ovate to lanceolate or almost heart-shaped. Those are usually 3-6 cm long, having numerous tiny nerves through the blade, deeply dented, blunt or slightly acute at the end, petioled, alternate.  Flowers are tiny, yellowish of greenish. They appear from the node of leaves. Female and male flowers are in different plants. Flowering occurs in the end of winter.  ...

Maloti-lota  or Malati ( Aganosma heynei, family: Apocynaceae) is a fast-growing large bushy creeper with woody stem. It is planted in parks, garden and botanical garden in Bangladesh. Its original home is Indian subcontinent. It is the iconic flower of rainy season in the country.  Another name:  Gondho maloti The starry and pure white flowers, the amazing beauty of the leaves, the strong and long life of the creeper, all in all it is a wonderful plant! It should be considered as an essential flower of the rainy season by the tropical gardeners.  Leaves are beautiful, entire, elliptical, opposite, 8 cm long and 4 cm wide, apex acute. Petiole and leaf nerves are reddish or purplish.  Through the tendril it can climb up with any support Flowers are pure white, highly scented, clustered on terminal panicle. Sepals 5, petals 5. Petals are twusted rightwards, looks a lot like a Shiuly ( Night jasmine, Nyctanthes arbor-tritis ), ab...

Padauk or Malay padauk ( Pterocarpus indicus, family: Fabaceae) is a large deciduous tree with spreading and drooping branches, attaining a height of 20-40 m. Bark is almost smooth and grey. In early summer the tree floods its entire body with yellow flowers. But those only last for one day. The next day there are no flowers left on the tree. It is found in the hilly areas of Chottogram Division. It is also found in Myanmar, India, Malaysia as well as other Southeast Asian countries. Leaves are imparipinnate (having single leaflet at the pinnate's end), glossy green, oval-lanceolate, undulate. Leaflet is 5-9, 8-10 cm long and 4-6 cm wide.  Flowers are highly scented. Those are small, in terminal inflorescence, yellow-colored. It blooms 3 times a year.  Fruit is round and flat, papery, 3-5 cm wide, indehiscent, single-seeded. It has feather, and because of this it can float in the air and spread far and wide. Propagation is caused by seeds and c...