Native to Brazil. Introduced to Sri Lanka as an ornamental plant in 1847. Since then it has naturalized along
the borders of ditches, ponds and tanks of low country. Flowering throughout the year.
With that name I was under the impression that it was a native plant. We used to have a plant in our garden but the flowers had a deep yellow shade in the lip proly to attract insects. Wonder if it is a subspecies of sorts....
It is not unusual of having Sinhalese names for exotic plants. Best example is Gandapaana (http://biodiversityofsrilanka.blogspot.com/2010/08/ganda-panarata-hinguru-lantana-camara.html) which was introduced during 19th centuary. There may be varieties of this with characteristics you mentined above though I am yet to see one.Meanwhile I got to know by a comment in facebook 'Flora of Ceylon' group made by a group member Asanga TikiriBandara Wijetunga to the above link which I shared there, describing that there are purple and white varieties of this flower and sometime pink variety too (Probably a hybrid between purple and white according to him). Actualy above Sinhala name also leant from him which I was not aware and was not found in any source I referred and I updated my post later on.
With that name I was under the impression that it was a native plant. We used to have a plant in our garden but the flowers had a deep yellow shade in the lip proly to attract insects. Wonder if it is a subspecies of sorts....
ReplyDeleteIt is not unusual of having Sinhalese names for exotic plants. Best example is Gandapaana (http://biodiversityofsrilanka.blogspot.com/2010/08/ganda-panarata-hinguru-lantana-camara.html) which was introduced during 19th centuary. There may be varieties of this with characteristics you mentined above though I am yet to see one.Meanwhile I got to know by a comment in facebook 'Flora of Ceylon' group made by a group member Asanga TikiriBandara Wijetunga to the above link which I shared there, describing that there are purple and white varieties of this flower and sometime pink variety too (Probably a hybrid between purple and white according to him). Actualy above Sinhala name also leant from him which I was not aware and was not found in any source I referred and I updated my post later on.
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