Is there such a thing as a “chloroform tree”?
Collapse of Rare Lawachhara tree – July 2006 Samples of rotten roots sent to laboratories for test Rajat Kanti Goswami, Moulvibazar The century old, rare and ‘endangered’ Chlorophora excelsa tree at Lawachhara Reserve Forest, locally known as ‘chloroform’ tree, fell as its roots got rotten, forest officials said. The lone tree of African origin in Bangladesh fell during rain on Friday. There was no storm or gusty wind in the area when the tree fell, forest officials in Moulvibazar and locals told this correspondent on Monday. Samples of rotten roots have been sent to laboratories in forest departments in Dhaka University, Chittagang University and Mymensingh Agriculture University, Forest Research Centre at Sholashahar in Chittagang and the Science Laboratory in Dhaka to try to find the reason behind their decay. Fresh leaves and tender branches of the tree have also been sent to the laboratories for tissue culture or grafting in an effort to save the species, they said. In 1994-95, fo
