Friday, October 30, 2015

Grey-breasted Prinia/Franklin's Prinia (Prinia hodgsonii)

An uncommon breeding resident occurs locally from lowlands to mid hills. Much commoner in the dry zone and rare in the wet lowlands. It lives as pairs or as small flocks in forest edges, scrublands and grasslands. Its food consists of small insects such as moths, grasshoppers and caterpillars. The breeding season lasts from March to June. The nest placed within a pocket made by 'sawing' together of two large leaves or few smaller leaves like the Tailor bird. Nest usually build about 2 or 3 feet of the ground and it lays 3 eggs in it. 

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Thursday, October 29, 2015

තෙල් තල [Thel Thala]/Gingerlly (Sesamum indicum)

An introduced annual herb with origin uncertain (Probably Africa or India). Widely cultivated and also naturalized along roadsides, waste lands and abandoned fields in the dry zone. Flowering from May to August and possibly throughout the year. Seeds edible.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sleepy Morning (Waltheria indica)

An introduced shrubby herb native to tropical America.  It occurs along roadsides, weedy fields, waste places, rocky outcrops and cultivation from 8 to 330 m a.s.l. 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Cadaba trifoliata

An indigenous shrub or small tree occurs in lowland dry areas up to about 150 m a.s.l.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Ornate narrow mouthed frog/විසිතුරු මුව පටු මැඩියා (Microhyla ornata)

Rather common small frog inhabiting mainly anthropogenic habitats such as agricultural fields, plantations, home gardens, etc. from lowlands to about 465 m a.s.l. Commoner in the dry lowlands though also recorded from few locations of Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. It hides under leaf litter, decaying logs, rocks, etc. during the day and forage during the night around open areas near small water bodies.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Taprobanea spathulata [Syn: Vanda spathulata]

An uncommon orchid species found on shrubs, trees and among rocks in intermediate and dry zone. Flowering from March to September and December.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Knobweed (Hyptis capitata)

Introduced large herb native to tropical America. First collected from Sri Lanka in 1953. Naturalized in waste places and along roadsides in slightly shaded places, often close to ditches and watercourses. It occurs from wet lowlands to lower hills up to 600 m a.s.l. Flowering from January to September.   

Friday, October 23, 2015

කොළොන්[Kolon] (Adina cordifolia [Syn: Haldina cordifolia])

An indigenous large tree common in dry and intermediate zone forests. Juice of bark is used to kill worms in sores and wood use in construction and carving industry. 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Grey-bellied Cuckoo/Indian Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis passerinus)

Rather uncommon winter visitor to the lowland and mid hill scrublands, open forests and gardens. Much common in the dry zone. Also a summer loiterer. Grey-bellied Cuckoo usually seen as solitary birds though rarely occurs in small flocks. It feeds on insects by picking from foliage, ground or taking in flight like flycatchers. It is usually silent during the winter. It breeds in India from July to October. Parasitic on Prinias and Tailor birds. Female occurs in two color phases: reddish brown hepatic phase and the phase which resembles the male.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Rungia longifolia

An endemic herb under shade and often close to streams in forests of moist lowlands. Flowering from March to April.
  

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Heterotis rotundifolia

Native plant of tropical West Africa. Probably escaped from cultivation and naturalized in the wet lowland areas. 

Monday, October 19, 2015

හල් බැඹිය[Hal bebiya] (Cipadessa baccifera)

Common indigenous shrub or small tree occurs along forest edges, thickets, ravines and rock crevices in dry lowland and intermediate zone. Flowering throughout the year. 

Friday, October 16, 2015

Torenia anagallis [Syn: Lindernia anagallis]

An indigenous small herb common in harvested paddy fields and pond edges in wet lowlands and up to 550 m altitude in the wet hills. It usually grows in association with Lindernia rotundifolia. Flowering throughout the year.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Sonerila silvatica

Locally common endemic erect herb occurs in southwestern wet lowland forests. Sonerila silvatica grows sympatrically with the Sonerila rhombifolia.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Lollipop plant/Golden shrimp plant (Pachystachys lutea)

An introduced ornamental shrub native to Central and South America from El Salvador to Peru. Cultivated in gardens. 

Monday, October 12, 2015

Dysphania palmyra

Expanse - 7 - 8 cm
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 3 Page 422- 423.
Larval host plant - දවට (Carallia brachiata)


Sunday, October 11, 2015

Spermacoce exilis [Spermacoce mauritiana]

An introduced annual herb native to tropical America. Naturalized in shady places and among grass (in the wet lowlands ?)

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Phyllanthus pulcher

Small shrub native to tropical Southeast Asia. Introduced and now an invasive in disturbed rain forest habitats of Kalutara and Ratnapura districts.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Justicia ceylanica

Rather common endemic herb occurs in southwestern wet lowlands and mid country forests, often beside rocks and along streams. Flowering from February to March and again from August to November.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Sesamum radiatum

An introduced erect annual herb occurs in waste places from north of Colombo to Negombo. Sesamum raditum is  native to tropical West Africa. Flowering from May to August or probably throughout the year. Trimen noted that "no doubt it is spread from Botanic gardens".

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Nyctemera lacticinia


Location - Sigiriya
Expanse - Male: 3.8cm cm Female: 4.5cm
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 47- 48.
Ecology - Day flier
External links : http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/124131-Nyctemera-lacticinia

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Monday, October 5, 2015

Vincetoxicum bracteatum [Syn: Tylophora pauciflora]

Rather rare indigenous twining plant growing mainly in the dry lowlands. Also cultivated in wet and intermediate zone home gardens. 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

අඟුණ/තිත්ත අඟුණ/අනුක්කොල/කිරි අඟුණ(Wattakaka volubilis [Syn: Dregea volubilis])

An indigenous twiner climbing in trees and shrubs, distributed in dry lowlands up to about 1000 m a.s.l. Flowering from March to April and again rarely from August to November.  Leaves edible and eaten as curries. Leaves also used in traditional medicine.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Trichosanthes scabra [Syn: Gymnopetalum scabrum/Gymnopetalum integrifolium]

Largely creeping and climbing native annual herb common in the waste places of dry and intermediate zones up to about 200 m altitude. Flowers opening in the evening. 

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Struchium sparganophorum

An introduced erect herb native to tropical America. It was first collected at Meerigama in November 1931. Rather uncommon naturalized weed in moist ground and ditches in South and Western lowland areas of the island. Flowering from July to March.