Monday, February 29, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Queen of flowering trees/Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis)

Native tree of  Myanmar (Former Burma). Introduced to the Peradeniya botanical garden in 1860 and since then it has been cultivated as an ornamental tree. The Queen of flowering trees is now extinct in the wild.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

ඇත් අඩි[Eth adi] (Elephantopus scaber)

Common indigenous herb grows along roadsides, patanas, scrub lands, plantations and as a weed in lawns from lowlands to 2100 m  altitudes in the hill country.Roots and leaves medicinal.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

ගඟ වැරැල්ල [Ganga Werella](Phyllanthus myrtifolius)

An endemic shrub occurs along watercourses in forests from 300 to 600 m altitudes. Also planted in home gardens as an ornamental hedge plant.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

හැමනිල්ල[Hemanilla] (Pogostemon auricularius)

An indigenous annual herb occurs among short grass along roadside ditches, paddy field borders, and boggy places in the wet lowlands up to about 1000 m a.s.l. Flowering from October to June. 

Monday, February 22, 2016

කරාබු නැටි[Karabu nati]Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

An introduced tree native to the Moluccas. Cultivated in intermediate to wet zone home gardens. Buds including the calyx tube are the cloves of commerce, a spice. Also use in traditional medicine. Widely cultivated in the intermediate zone north of Kandy.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Surinam Quassia (Quassia amara)

Native tree of Guiana and tropical South America. Introduced and cultivated in Sri Lanka mainly as an ornamental. It is also used in traditional medicine in some countries and can be used as an insecticide.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Oleander Hawk Moth (Daphnis nerii)

Location - Kotte.
Wing expanse - 8 - 10 cm
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 14-15.
External links  http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51996-Daphnis-nerii
Larval host plants - "Feeds on Oleander (Nerium oleander ) and Cinchona" - Moore, F.Z.S., 1882-3, Desert rose (Adenium obesum) & වතු-සුද්ද/Sri Lanka Jasmine/Grape-Jasmine/Wathu-Sudhdha (Tabernaemontana divaricata) - (Sujeeva GunasenaPersonal communication )


Friday, February 19, 2016

බූ ගැටිය/මහ ගැටිය/වට්ටි වැටි[Bu gatiya/Maha gatiya/Watti weti] (Hugonia mystax[Hugonia serrata])

Common native scrambling shrub in the dry zone shrub forests and forest edges. The mature stem is used to make frames of cane and bamboo baskets, hence the vernacular name වට්ටි වැටි. Roots medicinal.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

සමදරා[Samadara](Quassia indica)

Common native shrub or small tree in forests of wet lowlands. Flowering and fruiting from March to May. Bark, roots and fruits are used in traditional and Ayurveda medicine. Infusion of the leaves is a good insecticide.

Monday, February 15, 2016

හීන් ඇඹල/හීන් ඕලු [Heen ambala/Heen olu]/Crested snowflakes/Floating heart(Nymphoides hydrophylla)

An indigenous aquatic herb occurs in the dry lowland ponds and stagnant pools from sea level to about 150 m a.s.l. Very common in the Trincomalee district.  Flowering throughout the year.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

සාදික්කා[Sadikka]/Mace/Nutmeg(Myristica fragrans)

Native tree of Moluccas. Introduced and cultivated in intermediate and wet zone home gardens. Fruit medicinal and aril/seed use as a spice. 

Saturday, February 13, 2016

පතොක් [Pathok]/Pricky pear (Opuntia monacantha)

An introduced ornamental cactus native to tropical North America. Cultivated and also escaped and naturalized along roadsides of the dry zone.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Suregada lanceolata

An indigenous shrub occurs along river and stream sides in lowland primary and secondary forests up to 800 m a.s.l.

* Suregada angustifolia (Müll.Arg.) Airy Shaw is a synonym of Suregada lanceolata 

Monday, February 8, 2016

Barleria courtallica (Barleria nutans)

Very rare shrubby herb considered as a Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) plant under 2012 Red list. It has only been reported from two mid- hill localities in Kandy district (Hantana & Alagalla)  till recent discovery of it from two wet lowland forest patches (Jayasinghe H.D., 2015). 

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Saturday, February 6, 2016

ගහල[Gahala]/Taro/Elephant's ear (Colocasia esculenta)

An introduced large herb probably with Southeast Asian origin. Now pan-tropically cultivated and also escaped and naturalized in open wet places. Very common from lowlands to intermediate altitude throughout the country. Its underground stem edible and many edible and ornamental cultivars exist. It is considered as an invasive since dense stand of wild Taro displace native flora and block waterways, canals and invade rice fields in the wet zone. 

Friday, February 5, 2016

නෙළු[Nelu] (Strobilanthes adenophora)

Rather rare endemic under shrub in southwest wet lowland forests, often by streams from 50 m to 200 m altitudes. 

Thursday, February 4, 2016

ගිරා පලා[Gira pala] (Commelina diffusa)

Very common native creeping herb occurs along roadsides, open areas, forest edges, margins of rivers, streams, tanks, ponds and marshes, etc. from sea level to about 1000 (-1540) m a.s.l. Sometimes growing in the water and also a weed in paddy fields. Flowering from October to July.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

කිණිහිරිය/ඇට ඉඹුල්/එළ ඉඹුල් [Kinihiriya/Ata Imbul/Ela Ibul]/Torch wood/Yellow Silk Cotton (Cochlospermum religiosum)

Native tree of India. Introduced and also naturalized in rocky places of dry and intermediate zone. Often cultivated near Buddhist temples. Flowering from March to May. Trees deciduous in February and March.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Bonpland's croton (Croton bonplandianus)

An introduced woody herb of dry and often sandy open areas in the low country. Native to South America and naturalized in the Sri Lanka.