Horina or Boro horina, Lepisanthes rubiginosa

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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 favorite food of squirrels and birds too. Flowers and fruits can be seen at a time in the tree. Propagation is caused seeds.


Fruit is nutritious and energising. It is used to increase skin glamour and strengthen and gum. A decoction of leaves and roots are used in fever. Timber is used as firewood. 

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Makal or Mahakal, Trichosanthes tricuspidata

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Makal or Mahakal ( Trichosanthes tricuspidata , family: Cucurbitaceae) is a woody climber with tendril and branches, attaining a height of 10-12 m. The multiangular-branched plant climbs up very far by holding any tree in the forest. It is found in the hilly areas as well as plain forests and village thickets in Bangladesh. It is also found in Indian subcontinent, Australia and some countries of South and Southeast Asia.  According to ancient Sanskrit scriptures the other names of the plant are Bishala, Mohendro-baruni.  In the Himalayas it has been seen at an altitude of 5000 feet. There are many refferences to the fruit in Bangla and Sanskrit literature. Someone is very nice to look at but he/she is useless--writers usually jokingly give examples of this fruit. Its roots and attractive fruits are packed with medicinal properties.  The size and shape of leaves may vary. These are multilobed or trilobed, alternate, rough in both sides, 5-12 cm long, petioled, cor
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Shachi or Sessile joyweed, Alternanthera sessilis

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Shachi or Sessile joyweed ( Alternanthera sessilis , family: Amaranthaceae) is a creeping sub-aquatic herb with many branches, attaining a height of 10-35 cm. The branches are formed in pairs from the nodes of the stems. Sometimes it lies on the ground by forming roots from the stem axil.  Other names:  Chanchi, Phul heicha, Haiccha, Shati shak.  Stem is glabrous and usally green but sometimes reddish. Young shoots are minutely hairy. The plant grows near water bodies, in fallow lands, on roadside, even on old wall. It is found everwhere in Bangladesh. It is also found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Leaves are green, sessile, elliptic-oblanceolate, opposite, 5-6 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm wide, undulated and dented irregularly, tip rounded.  The inflorescence, round in shape and white in color arises from the leaf axil. These are much like Maloncho (Alligator weed) . Florets are sessile, petals 5. It blooms almost round the year. F
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Tomal or Mountain persimmon, Diospyros cordifolia

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Tomal  or  Mountain persimmon  ( Diospyros cordifolia,  family: Ebenaceae) is a deciduous small to medium-sized tree with spreading branches and blackish bark, sometimes thorny. This beautiful tree is native to Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia and is introduced to Bangladesh and other subcontinent countries. Not yellow, but black is the ripe fruit! Leaves are simple green, glabrous, petioled, alternate, lanceolate-cordate 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm wide.  Flowers are small, whitish, with 4 petals. January-February is the flowering time. Male and female flowers usually grow singly from leaf axil while the male ones bloom in cluster on cyme inflorescence.  Poisonous fruit is berry, round,  fleshy  2.5 cm across. Half-matured fruits are ye llow and they turn purplish black when fully ripe. Propagation of the plant is caused by seeds. As a medicinal plant diospyros cordifolia is used in the treatment of fever, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Stout thorns
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