SCROPHULARIACEOUS TAXA IN BANGLADESH

This paper presents a total of 59 Scrophulariaceous species distributed in 23 genera from Bangladesh. An updated nomenclature, brief diagnostic characters, flowering and fruiting period and distribution within and outside Bangladesh have been furnished under each species. Chromosome number has also been cited whenever possible. Introduction The Scrophulariaceae is a large cosmopolitan family consisting of about 3000 species under 220 genera mainly centered in temperate regions (Heywood 1993). Most of the members of this family are herbs while few are shrubs and lianas, rarely trees. Scrophulariaceae are mostly autotrophic, less often hemiparasitic or parasitic. They are mainly characterized by sympetalous 2-lipped corolla, 4 stamens, superior ovary, simple style and capitate stigma. They inhabit a wide range of habitats including moist and marshy places, paddy fields, near and within the water bodies like ponds, rivers, beels and ditches. Referring to the Scrophulariaceous taxa of Bangladesh, Hooker (1884) enumerated 47 species under 18 genera from the area of Bangladesh. Prain (1903) recorded 32 species from the East Bengal including Sylhet and Chittagong districts. In the “List of Plants of Chittagong Collectorate and Hill Tracts” Heinig (1925) included 26 species distributed in 15 genera. Datta and Mitra (1953) listed 33 species and 19 genera in his “Common plants in and around Dacca”. However, no detailed study on this family was undertaken. Therefore, this study has been undertaken with a view to document all members of the Scrophulariaceae available in Bangladesh. The present paper is based on herbarium specimens deposited in Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka University Herbarium, and the existing literatures. A total of 59 species distributed in 23 genera from Bangladesh have been identified. Nomenclature has been brought up-to-date with the aid of modern literatures. The genera and species have been placed in an alphabetical order. A crisp diagnostic account along with flowering and fruiting period and the distribution of the species within and outside Bangladesh have been furnished. Chromosome number (2n) has also been cited whenever possible. E-mail : oliurrahman@yahoo.com


Introduction
The Scrophulariaceae is a large cosmopolitan family consisting of about 3000 species under 220 genera mainly centered in temperate regions (Heywood 1993).Most of the members of this family are herbs while few are shrubs and lianas, rarely trees.Scrophulariaceae are mostly autotrophic, less often hemiparasitic or parasitic.They are mainly characterized by sympetalous 2-lipped corolla, 4 stamens, superior ovary, simple style and capitate stigma.They inhabit a wide range of habitats including moist and marshy places, paddy fields, near and within the water bodies like ponds, rivers, beels and ditches.
Referring to the Scrophulariaceous taxa of Bangladesh, Hooker (1884) enumerated 47 species under 18 genera from the area of Bangladesh.Prain (1903) recorded 32 species from the East Bengal including Sylhet and Chittagong districts.In the "List of Plants of Chittagong Collectorate and Hill Tracts" Heinig (1925) included 26 species distributed in 15 genera.Datta and Mitra (1953) listed 33 species and 19 genera in his "Common plants in and around Dacca".However, no detailed study on this family was undertaken.Therefore, this study has been undertaken with a view to document all members of the Scrophulariaceae available in Bangladesh.
The present paper is based on herbarium specimens deposited in Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka University Herbarium, and the existing literatures.A total of 59 species distributed in 23 genera from Bangladesh have been identified.Nomenclature has been brought up-to-date with the aid of modern literatures.The genera and species have been placed in an alphabetical order.A crisp diagnostic account along with flowering and fruiting period and the distribution of the species within and outside Bangladesh have been furnished.Chromosome number (2n) has also been cited whenever possible.

Angelonia grandiflora
A bushy undershrub.Leaves lanceolate.Corolla white with violet spots.Capsule longitudinally 2-valved, valves entire.Flowering and fruiting : Almost throughout the year.2n = 20 (Verma and Dhillon 1967).Distributed in South America; now naturalized elsewhere.In Bangladesh, this species is found in Cox's Bazar.
Widespread in tropics and subtropics.In Bangladesh, this species is found in most of the districts.
An annual herb.Leaves oblong to ovate-oblong, spreading or erect.Corolla dotted with yellow glands, commonly purplish-red, less often rose-coloured or white.Capsule ovoid.Flowering and fruiting : Almost throughout the year.2n = 30 (Vij and Kashyap 1975).
An annual, aquatic herb.Upper leaves elliptic or linear-oblong, lower ones pinnatisect to lacerate.Corolla violet, blue or purple.Capsule enclosed in persistent calyx with 5 teeth.Flowering and fruiting : September -December.This species is endemic to Bangladesh and has been reported from Dhaka, Jamalpur and Pabna (Khan et al. 2001).
An annual, aquatic herb.Leaves linear-oblong to ovate.Corolla white or mauve to purple-red.Capsule flattened-spherical to broadly ellipsoid, light purplish-brown.Flowering and fruiting : August -November.
An aquatic annual herb.Leaves rhomboid-oblong to ovate-elliptic.Corolla white, dull violet-pink to pinkish-purple.Capsule ovoid-ellipsoid, blackish.Flowering and fruiting : Almost throughout the year.
Distributed in Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.In Bangladesh, this species is found in Chittagong.
A small annual herb.Leaves linear to linear lanceolate or broadly ovate.Corolla white, purple or light yellow.Capsule linear-cylindric.Flowering and fruiting : March -November.
A very small annual herb.Leaves variable in shape, oval oblong, obovate-oblong, oblanceolate or linear-elliptic.Corolla pale violet or violet-blue to pale blue or white, occasionally pale purple.Capsule linear-cylindric or subulate-cylindric.Flowering and fruiting : Almost throughout the year.2n = 18 (Philcox 1968).
Distributed in Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.In Bangladesh, this species is found almost throughout the country.
An annual marshy herb.Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate.Corolla purple to yellowwhite.Capsule narrowly ovoid or ellipsoid.Flowering and fruiting : July -November.