Monday, November 30, 2015

නස් නාරන්[Nus naran] (Citrus x madurensis)

Shrub or small tree cultivated in home gardens for its edible fruit. It is probably a stable hybrid between Kumquat (Fortunella spp.) and sour Mandarin species (Citrus reticulata var. austera

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015

වැරණිය[Veraniya](Hedyotis fruticosa)

An indigenous small shrub grows on open secondary vegetation and rocky areas on mountain tops up to about 1000 m elevations

Friday, November 27, 2015

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Didymoplexis pallens

Rare terrestrial, leafless and saprophytic orchid species grows under shade of trees in carpet of fallen and decaying leaves of the wet lowland forests.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wormbush/Pinkroot(Spigelia anthelmia)

An introduced annual herb native to tropical America. Naturalized along roadsides, home gardens and waste places in Southern and western part of the Country.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

බැවිල[Bavila]/Heart Leaf Fan Petals(Sida cordata)

Common indigenous prostrate or ascending slender herb grows in grasslands, waste areas and roadsides, mainly in the dry lowlands. Whole plant used in Ayurveda medicine.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Thyas coronata


Location - Sri JayawardenapuraKotte.
Host Plant - Flowers (Only first instar larvae) and tender leaves (Larvae of all instars) of Rangoon creeper/Drunken sailor(Quisqualis indica) - (Sujeeva Gunasena, ‎ Personal communication, October 31, 2015)
External Links - http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1890501

Sunday, November 22, 2015

කටු තම්පලා[Katu tampala]/Spiny amaranth/Prickly amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus)

Very common introduced weed occurs along roadsides, waste and disturbed grounds and in gardens. Flowering throughout the year. The young leaves are eaten as a kind of spinach and whole plant especially leaves and roots are medicinal.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

Thursday, November 19, 2015

ගොඩ කිරිල්ල[Goda Kirilla]/Indian Elm (Holoptelea integrifolia)

Native tree occurs in dry lowland forests. Flowering from March to April and fruiting from April to June. Wood heavy and strong. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Asystasia intrusa

An introduced herb native to Malaysia. It occurs in lightly shaded locations, especially in the hill country, probably escaped from gardens. 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Monday, November 16, 2015

Sonerila rhombifolia

Rather rare endemic erect herb occurs in Southwestern wet lowland forests. Sonerila rhombifolia grows sympatrically with the Sonerila silvatica.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

කහ කෝන[Kaha-kona] (Senna spectabilis[Cassia spectabilis])

Native tree of the South America. Introduced and planted as an ornamental, mostly in the hill country near tea plantations. 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

හීන් උඳුපියලිය[Heen-Undupiyaliya]/Creeping tick threefoil/Tick clover(Grona triflora [Syn: Desmodium triflorum])

An indigenous prostrate perennial herb very common on roadsides, open grounds, lawns,etc from lowlands to about 600 m elevations. Flowering from June to October.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Gomphandra tetrandra

Rather uncommon shrub or small tree occurs in primary and secondary wet evergreen forests from 75-1200 m a.s.l. Ripe berries are white.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

මල් සේරා[Mal Sera]/Cotton Pygmy-Goose/Cotton Teal (Nettapus coramandelianus coramandelianus)

Rather uncommon breeding resident inhabiting low country tanks and large ponds covered with weeds and lotus like water plants. It is much common in the dry zone and where it lives as pairs or small to larger flocks. Wet zone records earlier only consist of migrants during the north-east monsoon period though there are recent observations of all the year round and also breeding. It feeds on vegetable stuffs, water insects and molluscs, etc.  Cotton Pygmy-Goose breeds from January to March and again in August. It build its nest in a cavity of a tree growing near tanks and lays 8-12 eggs. 

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Actinoscirpus grossus [Schoenoplectus grossus]

Grass like native perennial weed grows in marshy places, both inland and near the coast.  Often occurs as large community. Culms used to make baskets and mats. 

කොබෝ-ලීල[Kobo-leela]/Dwarf white orchid-tree(Bauhinia acuminata )

An introduced shrub native to Southeast Asia. Cultivated as an ornamental in home gardens. Flowering most of the year.

Monday, November 9, 2015

ඇහැළ[Ehela]/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold (Cassia fistula)

An indigenous tree widely cultivated as an ornamental along roadsides and home gardens. Good timber tree and whole part of the tree used in traditional medicine.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

White Orange Tip (Ixias marianne)

Common butterfly flies in the dry low country scrublands. Commoner in the northern part of the island especially in the Jaffna and Mannar districts though also occurs in the south and southeastern areas. Larval host plants are Capparis brevispinaCapparis grandis and Capparis sepiaria of the family Capparaceae .  

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Afrohybanthus enneaspermus [Syn: Hybanthus enneaspermus]

Common indigenous herb grows among grass in open areas of the low country. Whole plant medicinal and shampoo made from the plant removes dandruff. Flowering throughout the year.

Friday, November 6, 2015

වල් ත්‍රස්තවාලු [Wal-Trasta-Walu](Hewittia malabarica [Syn: Hewittia sublobata])

Common indigenous vine occurs along roadsides, grasslands, scrub lands, forest edges, cultivation, waste lands, etc. from sea level to about 1000 m altitude in both wet and dry zones. Flowering from June to August. 

Thursday, November 5, 2015

ගිනි-කැන්ද[Gini-kandha]/Bleeding-heart tree(Homalanthus populifolius)

Probably an introduced tree native to Australia & New Guinea* (Also in Malaysia and Pacific islands) though it was considered as a doubtfully native in Sri Lanka#. It occurs in both primary and secondary forests in the hill country from  1550 m to 2000 m elevations, usually in areas adjacent to tea estates.

* Illustrated field guide to the flowers of Sri Lanka J. & J. de Vlas
# Flora of Ceylon Vol 11 Dasanayaka M.D. & Clayton W.D.*

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

මහ ඇපල[Maha epala]/Tropical rose-mallow(Hibiscus vitifolius)

Common indigenous shrub occurs in open places, waste lands and forest edges in the dry lowlands below 150 m a.s.l. Flowering from August to September and March to April (Probably also in other months). 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Cyclothea disjuncta?

Location - Bamunukotuwa (Kurunagala district)
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 3 Page 429 as Thalera disjuncta.
Expanse - 3 cm
External Links -http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1124359

Monday, November 2, 2015

හුලන් තලා [Hulan tala]/Goat weed/White weed (Ageratum conyzoides)

Native herb of tropical America. Very common invasive weed along roadsides, cultivated grounds and waste places throughout the island. Flowering throughout the year. Flowers white, blue or mauve.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

Native plant of Indonesia, Malaysia and the western Pacific ocean islands. Introduced and widely cultivated in gardens. There are several hundred cultivars with wide diversity of leaf shapes and colors.