Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Black Sage (Varronia curassavica [Syn: Cordia curassavica])

An introduced shrub native to tropical America. Escaped and widely established as a common weed along roadsides, waste lands and open areas. It is said that Black Sage was first introduced to the Anuradapura Botanical garden which was existed near the  'Anuradapura Hotel?' (Alston , 1931) 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Commelina ensifolia

Common indigenous herb occurs on rocky hills, rock crevices, edge of rock pools, river banks, scrubs, forests, grasslands, sandy and weedy areas and roadsides from sea level to about 260 m a.s.l. Flowering from March to April, July and September to January.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Lesser Cuckoo/Small Cuckoo/Little Cuckoo/පුංචි කොහා/පුංචි කෝකිලයා[Punchi Koha/Punchi Kokilaya] (Cuculus poliocephalus)

Rather rare winter migrant to forests, open wooded areas and gardens from lowlands to mid hills. While its stay in the island Lesser Cuckoo lives as solitary birds and feeds on insects including hairy caterpillars. It breeds from Himalayas to the Northern China.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Ducklettuce (Ottelia alismoides)

Common native floating herb with fully or partly submerged leaves, occurs in standing stagnant pools and shallow slow running streams.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Blunt Arrowhead (Limnophyton obtusifolium)

Common native marsh plant grows in tanks and ponds, mainly in the dry lowlands. Flowering from February to April and August to September. 

Monday, November 21, 2016

Rosy Starling/රෝස සැරිකාවා/රෝස මයිනා[Rosa Sarikava/Rosa Myna] (Pastor roseus)

An uncommon winter migrant mainly to the dry lowlands and particularly to the coastal areas. Rosy Starling is a highly gregarious and noisy bird spends much of its time on the ground, feeding on insects, fruits,berries, nectar and grains. During its stay in Sri Lanka it inhabits grasslands, cultivation, home gardens and forests. It is an irregular winter visitor appears in large numbers in some years and almost absent in some other years. Large numbers gather to roost communally to a selected tree or a large shrub during the night. It breeds in East Europe and Middle East and almost entire world population winters in India and Sri Lanka. Most of the birds which visits the island appears to be in immature plumage. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Madras Carpet (Grangea maderaspatana)

An uncommon  native prostrate herb on moist grounds like margins of tanks in the drier northern part of the country. Flowering throughout the year.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Creeping Lickstoop (Dentella repens)

An indigenous mat forming prostrate herb grows on sandy river banks, empty tank beds and open areas. Also occurs as a weed in rice fields and lawns.  

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Lily of the valley (Pinalia bicolor[Syn: Eria bicolor])

Very common indigenous tufted epiphyte on trees above 1000 m a.s.l in sub montane tropical wet evergreen forests extending to the subtropical montane forests up to 2200 m elevations.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Strobilanthes schomburgkii

Commonly cultivated in hedges in moist lowlands and hills. Occasionally escaped and naturalized*.
*Not in the Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon (J & J Vlas , 2014)

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Coleus malabaricus [Syn: Plectranthus malabaricus]

Large indigenous herb restricted to the shaded places near streams in secondary submontane forests from 640 to 1400 m elevations. Rarely also occurs in wet lowland forests. Flowering throughout the year. 

Saturday, November 12, 2016

වල් කරාඹු[Wal Karabu]/Tembusu (Cyrtophyllum fragrans [Syn: Fagraea fragrans])

An introduced tree cultivated as an ornamental and possibly also naturalized along forest edges.  It is native to Southeast Asia

Monday, November 7, 2016

Pavonia fryxelliana

An endemic woody herb or sub-shrub found on granite outcrops in Polonnaruwa and Ampara districts. 

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Urophyllum ellipticum

Rather common endemic shrub or small tree occurs in tropical wet evergreen forests, usually at lower elevations.