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Friday, July 26, 2013

වතු-සුද්ද/Sri Lanka Jasmine/Grape-Jasmine/Wathu-Sudhdha (Tabernaemontana divaricata)


Large shrub flowering throughout the year. Native to the Southern Himalayas and cultivated in Sri Lankan gardens since ancient time as an ornamental plant.  Variety with broad corolla lobes also exist. 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

ගස්-ලබු/පැපොල්/Papaya (Carica papaya)

Small tree with usually unbranched stem of about 5 to 7 m tall.  Native to tropical America and cultivated throughout the island. Fruits edible. 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

නමිනම්/Nam-Nam (Cynometra cauliflora)

Native tree of Malaysia introduced into Sri Lanka apparently before mid 18th century. Fruits edible.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

පිළිල/Pilila (Dendrophthoe falcata)


An indigenous common half-parasite growing on the branches of trees. Widespread throughout the country except higher montane zone and common in the dry zone. Flowering throughout the year. 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Gam-Pila/Katu-Pila/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison (Tephrosia purpurea)


Common indigenous herb found along roadsides, waste lands and near seacoast in the low country. 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

හීන් කරඹ/Heen-Karamba (Carissa spinarum)


A very common indigenous small shrub with spines on the node, distributed throughout the low country dry zone in jungles, roadsides, along forest edges and especially in disturbed vegetation. Flowering throughout the year. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis)


A very common dragonfly of the lowlands up to mid hills. It inhabits rice fields, weedy tanks, streams beaches and footpaths, often far from the water unlike most other dragonflies. 

Sunday, July 7, 2013

කටු පතොක්/Katu Pathok (Opuntia dillenii)


Native to the South America. Introduced as an ornamental plant and now naturalized common weed in sandy places of dry and arid zone especially in Bundala and Yala national parks.  Fruit edible.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Forget-me-not (Catochrysops strabo)


Common butterfly occurs all over the dry lowlands up to about 3500ft, especially in abandoned paddy fields and chena lands.  Its larva feeds on Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram)Flemingia lineata, Phyllodium pulchellum, Rhynchosia cana, Tephrosia purpurea (ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison), Tephrosia villosa (බූ පිල/Hoarypea) and  Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි)