This document provides information on common plant species found in North Bengal, India. It lists over 50 plant species native to the region along with their family, Bengali name, brief description and uses. Some species mentioned include Machilus villosa, Alstonia scholaris, Butea monosperma, Cycas pectinata, Schima wallichii, Dalbergia sissoo, and Aquilaria malaccensis. The document was authored by Dr. Tusar K. Ghosal from the Department of Agricultural Entomology at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya.

1. Flora of North Bengal, India
Series 2
Published : 02.02.2019
Dr Tusar K. Ghosal
Department of Agril. Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture
Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari-736165,
West Bengal
E mail: drtkghosal@gmail.com

2. Common Plant Species of India
India has nearly 12% of the global plant wealth
amongst which there are around -
3,000 tree species,
15,000 flowering plant species &
3000 medicinal plants.
According to Botanical Survey of India (BSI) about
45 species are critically endangered (CR),
113 species are endangered (EN),
89 species vulnerable (VUL),
7 species are extinct (EX), &
2 species are extinct in wild (WE).

3. Needlewood Tree, Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth
Family : Theaceae
Bengali Name : Chikrasi
It has a fast growth capability even under infertile soil
conditions. The main value of chikrasi wood is for its hard and
durable timber. Its timber is used for fence posts, beams and
boards for house construction.

4. North Indian Rosewood, Dalbergia sissoo (Roxb.)
Family : Fabceae
Bengali name : Sisu
It is a fast-growing, hard deciduous wood
tree. It is native to the foothills of the Himalaya
and Southern Iran.

5. Agarwood. Aquilaria malaccensis Lam.
Family : Thymelaeaceae
Bengali Name : Dhup
It is used as wood, wood extracts & agar. Its wood (a resinous heartwood)
used for perfume and incense. Due to rising demand for agarwood, as well as
shortcomings in monitoring harvests and an increasing illegal trade, it is on the
brink of extinction in the wild and is now considered Critically endangered on
the IUCN Red List. DHUPGURI (a municipal town of Jalpaiguri) name is probably
derived from it.

6. Mango Mangifera indica Aam
Elephant apple Dillenia indica Chalta
Black Plum Eugenia jambolana or Syzyyaium cumini Kalojam
Silk Cotton Tree Bombax ceiba or B. malabaricum Shimul
Common teak Tectona grandis Shegun
Arjuna Tree Terminalia arjuna) Arjun
Indian Cork Tree Millinatonia hortensis Akas nim
Common Plant Species of North Bengal

7. Cycas, Cycas pectinata Buch. Ham
Family : Cycadaceae
Bengali Name : Cycas
It is evergreen trees with crown of leaves at the apex
of trunk. Stems robust, glabrous at base and usually
branched when mature

8. Royal Palm Tree, Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook
Family : Arecaceae
Bengali Name : Pam
It has been throughout India as an ornamental. The seed is used as a source of oil
and for livestock feed. The King of Cooch Behar was planted few trees in front of
Madan Mohan Bari.

9. Curry Tree Murraya Koenigii kari
Jujube Tree Ziziphus mauritiana Kul
Indian Almond Terminalia catappa Badam
Indian Beech Pongamia pinnata Karanj
Tamarind Tamarindus indica Tentul
Common Plant Species of North Bengal

10. Machilus villosa (Roxb.) Hook. fil.
Family : Lauraceae
Bengali Name : Kaola
Machilus are evergreen trees or shrubs, some species growing as much as 30 m tall. its
native range is Indian Subcontinent to China. It is threatened / endemic tree of India

11. Indian Coral tree Erythrina stricta Roxb.
Family : Fabaceae
Rakto-mather / রক্তমান্দার
It is also called Pangari in India. Its type locality at duars
is Jaldapara national Park. Madarihat (a small village town
of Alipurduar) name is probably derived from this tree.

12. Yellow Flame Tree, Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) K.Heyne
Family : Fabaceae
কনকচূড়া/ স্বর্ণচূড়া
Its commonly known is copperpod, yellow-
flamboyant, yellow flametree, yellow poinciana or yellow-
flame). It is native to tropical southeastern Asia and a
popular ornamental tree grown around the world.

13. Indian Devil Tree Alstonia scholaris Chhatim
Ashoka Tree Saraca asoca Ashoke
Mast Tree Polyalthia longifolia Debdaru
Sacred fig Ficus religiosa Asothyo
Rubber Plant Ficus elastica Robar
Wood Apple Aegle marmelos Bel
Indian rose chestnut Mesua ferrea Nageswari
Common Plant Species of North Bengal

14. Flame-of-the-forest, Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.
Family Fabaceae
Bengali name : Palas
It is used for timber, resin, fodder, medicine, and dye. The gum is known as
Bengal Kino and is considered valuable by druggists because of its
astringent qualities and by leather workers because of its tannin.
PALASBARI (a small village of Alipurduar ditrict) name is probably
derived from it.

15. .
Golden-rain Tree Cassia fistula L
Family : Fabaceae
বাাঁদরলাঠি /অমলতাস
It is commonly known as golden tree, golden shower tree, cassia
stick tree, golden pipe tree, golden rain tree, Indian laburnum,
pudding-pipe tree, purging cassia, purging fistula It is a tropical
and subtropical legume.

16. Sital pati, Schumannianthus dichotomus (Roxb.)
Family : marantaceae
Bengali Name : Pati
The plant used for making the Shital pati a traditional bed mat
in Eastern India and Bangladesh. Traditional artisans make
strips from the outer portion of the stem including the
epidermal part.

17. Jute, Corchoru olitorius and C. capsularis
Family : Malvaceae
Bengali Name : Pat
Jute was used for making textiles in the Indus valley
civilization since the 3rd millennium BC.

18. Indian thorny bamboo, Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss
family : Poaceae
বাাঁশ
This is a group of large grass like species that grow as a clump to
great heights in this area. It is extremely useful and is used for
constructing huts and making several useful household articles in
rural areas. The young shoots are used as food. It is extensively
used in the pulp and paper industry as a raw material. Bamboos
flower blooms after more than two decades. The plant then dies.

19. Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton
Bengali Name : Zingiberaceae
এলাচ/ছ াট া-এলাচ
The green seed pods of the plant are dried and the seeds
inside the pod are used, either whole or ground. It is the
most widely cultivated species of cardamom mainly at
hills.

20. Knot-grass, Persicaria barbata (L.) H. Hara
Family : Polygonaceae
ববষকা ালী
The genus primarily grows in northern temperate regions. The
species are very diverse, ranging from prostrate herbaceous
annual plants to erect herbaceous perennial plants.

21. Thorn-poppy, Argemone mexicana Siyalkanta
Purple-heart Glory Ipomoea sagittifolia Bonkalmi
Tree fern Alsophila andersonii Fern
Temple tree Plumeria rubra, P. acuminata, P. acutifolia) Kath champa
Golden champa Michelia champaca Champa
Son Chapha Pterospermum acerifolium Kanak Champa
Common Plant Species of North Bengal

22. GREATER GALANGAL Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.
Family : Zingiberaceae
Bengali Name : Pundi
People at this place called this plant Pundi or kulanjan. There is a place
PUNDIBARi, where an agricultural university is located. Locals tells me that the
tender inner part of the plant is eaten. The plant is a favorite of elephants.

23. Areca Areca catechu Supari
Coconut Palm Cocos nucifera Narikel
Indian Mustard Brassica nigra Sarse
Maize, Corn Zea mays Bhuttya
Papaya Carica papaya Pepe
Common fig Ficus carica Dumur
Drumstick tree Moringa oleiferaso Sajne
Common Plant Species of North Bengal

24. Common Aganosma, Amphineurion marginatum (Roxb.) D. J. Middleton
Family : Apocynaceae
কুরুজ/বড়-পাপবড় মালতীলতা
It s a very common wild flower plants inside the
forest of jaldapara Natinal Park (JNP). I noticed
these inside the forest of South Khayerbari.

25. SUNFLOWER ARTICHOKE, Helianthus tuberosus L.
Family : Asteraceae (nom. alt. Compositae)
Bengali Name : Jangli suryomukhi
A very tall, much-branching perennial wild plant,
often occurring in dense colonies. I noticed it
beside the rail track of kalchini to Hasimara root.

26. Indian Gooseberry Phyllanthus emblica Amlaki
Red Sandalwood Pterocarpus santalinus Rakta Chandan
White Sandalwood Santalum album Chandan
Holy basil Ocimum tenuiflorum Tulsi
Snakeroot Ravoulfia serpentina Sarpagandha
Femine food Ficus cunea Jagga dumur
Common Plant Species of North Bengal