Nature Quest: Rare Kanak Champa blooms

Golden Champak, known as Kanak Champa in Bangla, blooms in spring. This beautiful flowering shrub was once available in the forests of Sylhet, Moulvibazar district and Chittagong Hill Tracts. Now it is extremely rare in the wild. Currently, only two of these plants are found in the country: one at Ramna Park and the other at Bangladesh Shishu Academy. The bark is used as a digestive tonic and the leaves in dressing the wounds. The wood is made into walking sticks. The plant has attractive yellow flowers. Its seeds are initially green but turn jet black later.