බෝවිටියා/කටකළුවා/මහා බෝවිටියා[Bovitiya/Katakaluwa/Maha bovitiya]Malabar blackmouth(Melastoma malabathricum)

Common native shrub occurs along roadsides, river banks, disturbed places and thickets in wet and montane zones. Flowering throughout the year. The pulp inside the fruit is edible and it stains black. Hence the vernacular name Katakaluwa (Meaning 'Black mouth')

*Unlike this aberrant specimen of 6 petal flower with 12 stamens, usually Melastoma malabathricum flower is pentamerous and it has 10 stamens (5 long and 5 shorter). 

Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)

An active sparrow-sized breeding resident, much common in the hill country forests and the habitats close to home gardens. It also flies in the low country but less common and shy unlike tamer birds of the hills. It lives as pairs or as small family flocks, flitting from tree to tree in search of small insects like beetles, moths, caterpillars, etc. hiding on bark-crevices or flakes of lichens on trees. It breeds from March to April and sometimes again in September-November. The nest is a mass of moss, fibres, feathers, etc. placed in a hole or cavity in a tree trunk/branch or sometime under eaves of a building.

* Parus cinereus (Cinereous Tit) was formerly confused with the P. major (Grey Tit/Great Tit)

Impatiens ciliifolia

An endemic small herb found in lowland to submontane forests in Southwestern wet zone. It occurs as two sub species.

•  I. c. ciliifolia - Moist shady places along stream and rivers from 100 to 750 m elevations.
•  I.c. sinharajensis - On riverside rocks or sometimes on mossy logs from 350 to 600 m elevations.

Corchorus aestuans

An indigenous erect or prostrate herb. Common weed in the dry zone.

වෙරළු[Weralu]/Wild Olive (Elaeocarpus serratus)

A common native tree of wet and intermediate zone forests from lowlands to about 900 m a.s.l. Often cultivated in home gardens for its edible fruits. 

අංකෙන්ද[Ankenda](Acronychia pedunculata)

An indigenous small tree common mainly in the wet areas from sea level to about 1600 m a.s.l.  Flowering from February to April. Bark used in medicine. 

වැල් මුද්ද[Vel mudda]/African globethistle (Sphaeranthus africanus)

An indigenous erect annual herb occurs in marshy or brackish situations at low elevations. Sometimes on the seashore. Flowering from November to May. 

සුදනා[Sudana]/Asthmaweed(Erigeron bonariensis [Syn: Conyza bonariensis)

An introduced erect herb native to South America. According to the Trimen it was introduced at Hakgala Botanical Garden about 1864 among seeds from St. Petersburge. Escaped and naturalized along roadsides, waste places, etc. in the tea growing areas. 

මීවැන්න/උල් කෙන්ද[Miwenna/Ul kenda](Huberantha korinti [Syn: Polyalthia korinti])

Common indigenous tree widespread in both wet and dry lowlands from sea level to about 300 m a.s.l. ( Rarely to 500 in the wet zone and 750 (At Ritigala) in the dry zone ). It occurs in riverine forests, back of mangroves etc. It confine to the disturbed vegetation in the wet zone though occurs in both primary and secondary forests in the dry areas. Fruits edible.

කඩොල්[Kadol]/Asiatic mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata)

Common native mangrove tree occurs along the east coast. Less common along the west and south coast. It grows in estuaries and lagoons with salt or brackish water. 

කනේරු[Kaneru]/Oleander (Nerium oleander)

An introduced shrub or small tree native to the Mediterranean. Widely cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. Wild ancestors of this plant has pink flowers. Varies cultivars have white, red or dark pink flowers.

Tropical kudzu (Neustanthus phaseoloides [Syn: Pueraria phaseoloides)

An indigenous vine native to Southeast Asia. It is also believed that it was introduced as a ground cover and fertilizer to enhance fertility in coconut plantations and naturalized along roadsides and abandoned cultivated grounds. Often creeping over low vegetation. Flowering from November to March.

බෙරිය[Beriya]/Black Mangrove (Lumnitzera racemosa)

Common native shrub or small tree occurs in most mangrove swamps.

Brown-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth (Theretra silhetensis)

Location - Polgasowita.

Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Thretra nessus of Page 22 & Plate 85?

External links -  http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1803331

Rubus rugosus

An indigenous scrambling shrub grows under shade in bushy thickets along forest edges or in dense mossy forests of upper montane zone above 2000 m a.s.l. Flowering from February to May, July and November to December.

Littlebell/Three-lobed Morning Glory (Ipomoea triloba)

An introduced and naturalized vine native to tropical America and West Indies. Very common in waste lands, paddy field margins, fences, etc. Due to its common occurrences near paddy fields, it is believed that Littlebell was introduced contaminant in seed rice. 

Enicostema axillare

Common indigenous perennial herb, occurs in open sandy places among sparse grass, close to the beach in the dry zone. Flowering throughout the year. 

Rubber vine/Madagascar rubber vine/Purple trumpet (Cryptostegia grandiflora)

An introduced twining vine native to the Madagascar and neighboring islands. Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental. As per Trimen often naturalized in Sri Lanka near the shore (A Revised Hand Book to the Flora of Ceylon Vol 4)*. It is considered as a notorious invasive plant in tropical Australia.

* Probable naturalized vines observed at Karukkupone area, north of Chilaw.

මණ්ඩ/මඩ ගස්[Manda/Mada Gas]/Indian Mangrove/White Mangrove (Avicennia officinalis)

An indigenous shrub or small tree occurs in salt marshes, brackish places along the seashore and mangrove swamps. Flowering from August to October.

වැල් කරල් හැබ[Wel karal Haba]/Forest Burr/Creeping Cock's Comb(Pupalia lappacea var. orbiculata)

An indigenous herb occurs as two varieties in the island.

•  P, l, lappacea - Grows open dry places along forest edges.
•  P. l. orbiculata (Above Picture) - Common in the sandy places behind the shoreline.