Dhaiphul or Fire-flame bush, Woodfordia fruticosa
Dhaiphul or Fire-flame bush ( Woodfordia fruticosa , family: Lythraceae) is a lare-sized decidous shrub with spreading and pendulous branches, attaining a height of 4 m. Bark is brownish, smooth. Young branches pubescent when young. The plant grows on rock in hilly evergreen forests of Chattogram and Chattogram Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. It covers a vast geographical area, found from tropical Africa to East Asia. Other names: Dainphul, Dhatriphul (Bang); Red bell bush (Eng); Parvati (Sans). Leaves are green, 5-7 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate with curved and elongated apex, base rounded or cordate; opposite or subopposite, short-petioled or sessile. The lateral veins of blade unexpctedly merge before the edge. 3-16 reddish orange flowers in axillary cymes, short-peduncled, glandular-pubescent. Calyx 1.5 cm long, base campanulate, tube bright red. Sepals 5. Petals slightly longer than calyx-teeth. Flowering occurs at the end of winter to spring. Fruit is a ...