| Bengali Name : | সালপানি ফুল, দীর্ঘ মূলী ফুল |
| Common Name : | Ticktree, Sal Leaved Desmodium. |
| Botanical Name : | Desmodium gangeticum |
| Synonym : | D. maculatum, Hedysarum gangeticum |
| Family : | Fabaceae(Pea family) |
This is a lovely weed flower from the family Fabaceae. It's botanical name is Desmodium gangeticum. This is widely seen around the bushes of our country Bangladesh(বাংলাদেশ). Locally we call this Salpani Ful(সালপানি ফুল). English people know this as Ticktree flower.
This is a small plant and woody near the bottom, but still its a perennial herb plant. Leafs are ovate or oblong having an acute tip. Leafs are not glossy. This tree brings lot of long vine-like racemes which sometimes can trick you to trust the plant as a vine.
A small plant with lot of racemes.
Flowers are very similar to the other flowers from the Pea family, blooms around the long racemes. But these are slight smaller and not that much showy. You need to observe carefully to detect the presence of this flower(especially when its around the bushes). Based on the region, the flower can be in different colors(white, red, purple, mauve, etc).
A different kind of seedpod from the flower.
Fruits of this plant are are very interesting in term of shapes. A small flat seedpod having 8-10 semi round seeds which are connected like teeth at gum. In My childhood, I have seen this seeds a lot near our house. I might have forgotten the flowers, but still can remember the unusual looking seeds.
Though its a weed and unwanted plant, but like other plants in nature, it has few medicinal uses. It's main use is against the colonic treatments and coughs(Whooping Coughs). People from Malaysia use the leafs of this plant to sooth headache and the roots to cure toothache.
A small plant with lot of racemes.
Photos of this article were taken from Pabana(পাবনা) during September 2012. It was just beneath the mammoth iron made rail bridge named Hardinge Bridge over great river Padma(পদ্মা নদী).
ফুলের জন্য ভালোবাসা, আমি বুনো ফুল...
Reference:
[1] http://www.mpbd.info/plants/desmodium-gangeticum.php
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