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.

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.

වෙසක් මල්[Wesak-Mal] (Dendrobium maccarthiae)

Rare endemic epiphyte occurs only in the Rathnapura jungles. Flowering from May to July. Hence the vernacular name Wesak mal (Wesak > Sinhalese name for the month of May and mal > flowers)

Malaxis thwaitesii [Malaxis lancifolia]

Very rare endemic terrestrial orchid species growing on rocks along water courses in the wet evergreen lowland forests, up to about 610 m elevations. 

නඟා-මැරූ-අල [Naga-Maru-Ala]/Daffodil Orchid (Ipsea speciosa)

Rather common endemic ground orchid occurs in patana lands  in montane and sub-montane areas. One or two leaves sprout at the end of flowering period and shed when mature, followed by a resting period and after that flowers blooms at the end of spike rising out of the ground among grasses. 

Oberonia wightiana

Locally common epiphyte grows on trees in submontane forests from 548 - 2134m elevations.  

Disperis neilgherrensis

Rather common orchid species found under the shade of trees in the sub-montane forests between 915-1524m elevations.

Vanda testacea

Rather common epiphyte found on trees of tropical dry mixed evergreen forests in dry and intermediate zone lowlands up to mid hills. 

Philippine Ground Orchid (Spathoglottis plicata)

Native plant of Southeast Asia. Introduced  (Native? >>) as a garden plant and widely cultivated in home gardens in most areas. Also escaped and naturalized in lowland wet and sub montane zones, usually near waterways.

Pomatocalpa maculosum

Rather rare epiphyte on trees by streams in the lowland wet zone forests up to 762m altitude. Flowering from January to March.

Thrixspermum pulchellum

Rather common epiphyte on trees in wet lowland forests up to about 610m a.s.l. Flowering from April to June.

Phalaenopsis deliciosa

Rare native Epiphytite, on trees in the lowland wet zone forests up to 305m a.s.l. Flowering September. 

Eulophia graminea

Rather rare terrestrial orchid species grows in open places under partial shade in the dry regions. 

Aphyllorchis montana

A rare leafless terrestrial saprophytic orchid species with distinguish purple stem. It grows under the shade of trees in the submontane or mid-country tropical wet evergreen forests below 610 m altitude. 

Robiquetia brevifolia

An endemic orchid species found in montane and sub-montane forests. Flowering from February to April and again on Sepetember (Flora of Ceylon Vol 2). However flowers are not uncommon even during mid-November in Horton Plain National Park (Personal observation, 2013)

සුදු-පරවිමල්[Sudu-parey-mal]/Pigeon orchid/white dove orchid (Dendrobium crumenatum)

An introduced epiphyte often cultivated in low country wet zone home gardens. Pigeon orchid is believed to be introduced from Malaya since it is native plant of Malaya, South-east Asia and Indonesia. Vernacular names related with white dove since resemblances of it flowers with Pigeons. 

ඉරුරාජ[Iru-Raja] (Zeuxine regia)

An endemic orchid species grows among leaf litter of forest floor under the shade of trees in sub-montane and mid country forests. Iru-raja is used for treating snake-bite poisoning in traditional medicine. Flowers during December and January.

Grass orchid (Arundina graminifolia)

an indigenous terrestrial orchid species with grass like stem and leaves occurs  in open areas and Patana lands of higher elevations. 

වනරාජ [Wanaraja] (Anoectochilus regalis[Anoectochilus setaceus])

An endemic terrestrial orchid species grows in shade of trees among leaf litter in the tropical wet evergreen forests and subtropical montane forests (From 305m to1829m altitude). Flowering in January, May to September and December. Wanaraja is used for treating snake-bite poisoning in traditional Sinhalese medicine. It has been collecting extensively and illegally for medicinal as well as ornamental purposes. Therefore this orchid species has become rare in most places where it was abundantly occurred previously.    

Phaius wallichii

A terrestrial orchid species of sub-montane to montane wet evergreen forests between 915 – 2134 m asl.  Flowering February, April – June and again from September to November. It grows under shade of trees and locally common.