සුදු වේවැල්/තුඩරෑන[Sudu Wewal/Thuda rena] (Calamus ovoideus)

An endemic rattan climbing about 50-70 m height, occurs in wet lowlands and lower montane forests up to about 1500m a.s.l. Flowering in April and fruits ripen during September - October. Canes use to make furniture and baskets.  

රන් දෝතළු[Ran dothalu] (Loxococcus rupicola)

Ran dothalu is a rare endemic palm confine to the  south-western rain forests from lowlands to hills (300 to 1500m a.s.l.). It can be found as small populations on shady rocky outcrops  near streams. Seeds use as a substitute for Betel-nut palm for mastication with betel. This palm recently become  a popular ornamental plant and despite the fact that it is protected under the law, illegal over exploitation widely practices and hence become an endangered plant.

පුවක්[Puwak]/Betel-nut palm (Areca catechu)

Common palm of home gardens in wet and intermediate zones of the island up to about 900m a.s.l. Also cultivated close to paddy fields and canals in dry lowlands. Seed betel-nut mastication with betel leaves, flowers use as temple offering and also use in traditional rituals, Leaf sheath as trays, bags and plates. Trunk – as timber in construction works.

තල්[Tal]/Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer)

Introduced from India in unknown period of the history and cultivated and naturally spreading in dry coastal areas of North, North, East and South-Eastern part of the country including Mannar Island. Almost all part of the tree are used extensively for various purposes such as timber, leaves for thatching and as olas for writing,  inflorescence tapped for sugar and toddy,  fruit edible, etc. 

තල[Tala]/Talipot palm(Corypha umbraculifera)

Leaves of Talipot palm tree have been using for writing since ancient times and it has a very restricted distribution ⁽¹⁾ and it is always associated with human habitations. So it is believed that it was introduced to the Sri Lanka from India for the purpose of documenting Buddhist sacred text and other writings. Flowering occurs when the tree is around 40 years old and most probably all the trees in the vicinity blooms with flowers simultaneously possibly because they are of same age due to seed crop of same parent tree. Other than for writing, leaves use for thatching, as umbrellas and for basket and mat weavings.               

(1) According to the Flora of Ceylon Vol 14 its distribution is limited to the narrow belt bordering northern wet and intermediate lowlands [Molagoda, Warakapola, Mirigama, Gampaha Mathale, Gampola, Galewela] and the eastern intermediate lowlands [Badulla, Ranwala, Godakawela]

කටු කිතුල්[Katu Kithul] (Oncosperma fasciculatum)

An endemic palm with ‘black compressed spined trunk’ unlike much common Kithul palm (Caryota urens). It grows in wet lowland hilly areas such as foothills of Peak wilderness, Sinharaja, knuckles range etc. Usually found in steep rocky outcrops as clusters of trees.  

කිතුල්[Kithul] (Caryota urens)

Native tree with 12-18 m high cylindrical stem of wet lowlands of south-west of the island up to 2000m elevation and Kurunagala, Badulla areas of intermediate zone. Also distributed in South India. Found in rain forest sub-canopy and as cultivated trees in home gardens. It has multitude of uses especially jaggery and toddy being produced from the inflorescence sap. Leaves and stems as elephant fodder and pith an edible starch.