Flora of Bangladesh

Lohakath or Burma Ironwood ( Xylia xylocarpa , family: Fabaceae) is a large-sized deciduous tree with straight, cylindrical and huge trunk, attaining a height of 40 m. Its trunk can be up to 60 cm in diameter. Bark is rough and thick but brittle, brown-colored. Young shoots are covered with brown hair. Its wood is very hard, heavy and durable. Heartwood is reddish. It is found in the hilly forests, especially in greater Sylhet in Bangladesh. Outside the country the giant tree is found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and some countries of South and Southeast Asia.  Leaves are compound, leaflets per pinnae 5-7 pairs; leaflets elliptic-oblong, 3-15 cm long and 3-6 cm wide, shiny, green, short-petioled, opposite, tip pointed.   Flowers are scented, small, yellowish, on long peduncled heads. The bisexual flowers occur in March-April. Fruits are pods, 9-15 cm long, brownish, dehiscent, 6-10-seeded. Seeds are consumed as vegetable somewhere. Propagation of the plant is c...

Lal bichuti or Hawaiian wood-nettle ( Laportea interrupta , family: Urticaceae) is a slightly woody herb covered with hairs all of its body. The plant does not reach a height of more than 1.5 m. The annual erect herb has stinging hairs. Stem, petiole, and spike are reddish, stem quadrangular. It mainly loves to grow in damp places, specially on fallow land, old wall and beside the roads in Bangladesh. Outside the country, it is found in South and Southeast Asia, Australia and Southwest Pacific islands.   Other names: Choto chutra, Chotrapata, Chutrapata, Chutka,  Panchotra (Bang); Hen's nettle, Stinging nettle (Eng). Leaves cuase itching in contact a body. These are hairy and shiny green, ovate, cordate at base, acute at end, 6-10 cm long and 4-6 cm wide, alternate, deeply and regularly dented. Petiole is reddish and very long.  Flowers are tiny, greenish, petals 4, sepals 4; in axillary inflorescences. Spike is very long, 5-28 cm. The flowers are usually unisexua...

Babla or Babul ( Vachellia nilotica , family: Fabaceae) is medium-sized deciduous tree with profuse branches and spines, attaining a height of 15-20 m. Bark is grey. There are spines (3-4 cm long) and soft hairs in branches. Sapwood is hard and reddish white. The fast-growing tree is drought tolerant. Reddish gum comes out from its stem. Its pods also give gum. It is found mostly in the Northwest region of Bangladesh. Outside the country it is found in the tropical and suptropical areas of Africa and Asia. Other names: Thorny acacia, Gum arabic tree, Egyptian acacia, Thorn mimosa. Leaves are bipinnate, 10-20 leaflets in each pinnae, tiny, light green, pubescent. Flowers are bright yellow in axillary round head, 2.5-3 cm wide. Flowering occurs in summer. Fruits are pods (10-12 cm long) with whitish hairs. Seeds 8-12. The propagation of the plant is caused by seeds. It is used in diarrhoea, typhoid, spraining, malnutration and breast sore. Pods increase the flow of cow milk. Its sap i...

Batilota or Climbing aroid ( Pothos scandens , family: Araceae) is a long-stemmed and semi-woody climber with peculiar leaves, cylindric branches, attaining a height of 10-15 m. Actually it is an epiphytic climber. It climbs to the top holding the sheltering plant with the help of roots arising from the internodes of its body. The leafy plant is usually found creeping on trees in the North-eastern region as well as Chattogram and Chattogram Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Outside the country, it is found in the tropical and subtropical Asia and Africa. Other names: Hatilota, Sunat. It is a beautiful leafy climber. Although the leaf-blade may look like lobed, it is actually it's petiole! Leaves are light or dark green, shiny, coriaceous, lanceolate, ovate or elliptic with p, 3-8 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide with pointed or rounded apex. The strange-looking petiole is winged and broad, 3-12 cm long, 1-2 cm wide. Spadix is round or ovoid, yellowish, axillary, .5 cm long; spathe tiny, pedunc...

Boro dudhia  or Asthma plant ( Euphorbia hirta , family: Euphorbiaceae) is annual prostate or semi-erect herb with spreading branches and taproot, attaining a height of 30-5-0 cm. Stems and branches are soft, slender and hairy. Stem produces milky sap when snapped. It is found on fallow land, in cropfields and beside roads in Bangladesh. The plant is native to tropical America, but has adapted to other tropical regions. Other names:  Boro dudhi, Boro kerui, Ghao-pata (Bang); Garden spurge, Hairy spurge (Eng). Leaves are light green or reddish green, elliptic-lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm long hairy on both sides, edge serrated, apex blunted, opposite.  Flowers are smaill, reddish green on leaf axil. Flowering occurs round the year. Fruit is triangular capsule. Propagation of the plant is caused by seeds.  It is useful in asthma, cough, chronic dysentery, bronchitis, phlegm and pain. The plant is quite eye-catching. As an ornamental plant it can be planted in gardens. Anyone...

Orboroi or Star gooseberry ( Phyllanthus acidus , family: Euphorbiaceae) is a small-sized decidous tree with soft branches, attaining a height of  8-10 m. Bark is rough and greu in color. It is found everywhere in Bangladesh as a homestead tree. Its sour fruit is quite popular to children and women. Madagascar and Malaysia are considered to be the original home of the plant.  Other names:  Horboroi, Aalboroi, Noil, Noyel, Royel, Nolta, Leboir, Forfori, (Bang); Malay gooseberry (Eng). Leaves are pinnate, 35-40 cm long, 16-30 leaves in a pinnae. Leaflets are light green, oval-shaped, 7-9 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, alternate.  The flowers are tiny, clustered on spikes, reddish, grow abundantly on branches. Female and male flowers appear separately on the same branch. Flowering occurs at the beginning of spring. Fruits are edible, round, 1-2 cm wide, somewhat quadrangular, green in color, juicy, light yellow when ripe, 1-seeded. It looks a lot like Amloki , a member of i...

Paniaphul  or  Hopbush  ( Dodonaea viscosa , family: Sapindaceae) is a large shrub or small-sized evergreen tree, attaining a height of 2-8 m. It is usually the size of a shrub. But sometimes it takes the form of a small tree, though it is rare. It usually prefers to grow in sandy soils washed in salt water. It is mainly found in the coastal regions, especially on sandy beaches of South-eastern region of Bangladesh. Its geographical extent is very wide. It is found througout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Other names: Aliar (Bang); Sticky hopbush (Eng). The shape of the leaves vary. These are elliptic-obovate or lanceolate, 4-14 cm long and 2-4 cm wide, entire, alternate, petiolate or sessile, apex rounded or acuminate; sticky and leathery.   Flowers are in widely branched inflorescence (3-4 cm long). These are yellow, bisexual or dioecious (female and male flowers are in separate plant). Fruits are capsule, 1-1.5 cm wide, yellow to ora...