Lesser glory (Ipomoea obscura)

An Indigenous vine found along roadsides, waste lands, forest margins and sometimes on sandy beaches, both in wet and dry zones. 

නිල් මහගොයා[Nil maha goya]/ Green Imperial Pigeon(Ducula aenea)

Largest pigeon of the island and a resident of forests from lowland to lower hills. Usually found in upper canopy. Living as pairs or as small flocks (especially during fruiting season of varies trees). It is arboreal and feeds on fruits mainly in the morning and again in the evening. 

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තෙබු[Thebu] (Hellenia speciosa [Syn: Costus speciosus])

An indigenous herb of about 2-3m height found in shady places of the low country. Roots use in traditional ayurvedic medicine to cure catarrhal fevers, coughs, dyspepsia, worms and skin diseases (Medicinal plants used in Ceylon part5 – D.M.A. Jayaweera).  Leaves edible and there is a popular belief that it can reduce the sugar level of the blood and hence good for diabetics patients. 

Common sailor (Neptis hylas varmona)

Very common butterfly flying throughout the year and abundant in everywhere of the island. It takes part in migrations. Larva feeds on

• Calopogonium mucunoides (Calopo)
• Desmodium heterocarpon (ඇත් උඳුපියලිය/Asian ticktrefil)
• Grona heterophylla (මහ උඳුපියලි/Spanish clover)
• Desmodium tortuosum
• Glycine max
• Phyllodium pulchellum
• Tadehagi triquetrum (බා‍‍‍ලොලියා)
• Vigna radiata (මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean)
• Pityranthe verrucosa
• Helicteres isora (ලීනිය)
• Sterculia zeylanica
• Mitragyna parvifolia (හැළඹ)
•  Celtis philippensis (මැදිතැල්ල) 
• Celtis timorensis (ගූරැන්ද/බූරැන්ද)
• Trema orientale(ගැඩුඹ/Charcoal Tree)
• Aeschynomene americana (Thornless mimosa)
• Arachis pintoi (Perennial peanut/Pinto peanut)
• Bauhinia purpurea (රත් කොබෝලීල/Purple orchid tree)
• Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold)
• Centrosema pubescens (Butterfly-pea)
• Clitoria ternatea (නිල් කටරොළු/Blue butterfly pea/Butterfly bean)
• Codariocalyx motorius
• Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo (බඹර වැල්)
• Desmodium pryonii
• Pseudarthria viscida (ගස් ගොනික)
• Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
• Neustanthus phaseoloides
• Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub)
• Vigna hosei
• Vigna unguiculata (මෑ කරල්/ ලී මෑ/වඳුරු මෑ/Black-eye Bean/Cowpea)
• Nothapodytes nimmoniana
• Grewia bracteata
• Grewia damine (දමිණිය)
• Grewia helicterifolia (බොරු දමිණිය)
• Grewia orientalis (වැල් කෑලිය/වැල් මැදිය)
• Triumfetta pentandra (ඇපල/කපු කිනිස්ස)
• Urena lobata (පට්ට ඇපල/ඇපල/Caesar weed/Bur mallow)
• Gouania microcarpa
• Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල්)
• Wendlandia bicuspidata (රාවන් ඉදල/වන ඉදල/රත් වැනිදල)
• Microcos paniculata (කෑලිය/කොහුකිරිල්ල)
• Berrya cordifolia (Trincomalee wood/හල්මිල්ල)
• Erythrina fusca

දියනිල්ල[Diya-nilla] (Rhynchoglossum notonianum)

An indigenous herb found in moist montane forests of hill country. Usually along streams and forest paths. 

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher/Ceylon orange breasted blue flycatcher (Niltava tickelliae jerdoni)

Common breeding resident of forests and heavily shaded habitats of home gardens and cultivations of all climatic zones of the island.  Frequently found along streams and it is very active especially toward dusk.  It is not much shy and usually flits among the undergrowth in search of its prey which mainly consists of small flying insects, often captured on the wing. 

Japanese lantern/Fringed rose-mallow (Hibiscus schizopetalus)

A large shrub native to Eastern Africa introduced and cultivated in Sri Lankan home gardens. Flowering throughout the year.

Redspot Duke(Dophla evelina evelina)

Rather uncommon butterfly found in low country dry zone, often close to streams and rivers. According to the Woodhouse it is fairy common from January to March (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950). Food plant – Egg laying only observed so far on the leaves of Diospyros malabarica.

Jam tree/Jamaican cherry (Muntingia calabura)

Small tree native to Jamaica. Introduced and cultivate in home gardens, and also naturalized along forest edges. Fruit edible. Flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the year.

කොරවක්කා[Korawakka]/White-breasted Waterhen(Amaurornis phoenicurus)

Common breeding resident of low country up to about 1800 m a.s.l. It inhabits wet lands with dense vegetation like paddy fields, marshes, tank and mangroves. Usually lives as pairs and active mostly during the morning and again in evening. It is omnivorous and feeds on worms, insects like grasshoppers and also shoots of paddy and other marsh plants. Breeding season is from March to October and nest is a mass of weeds often place on a low bush few feet above of ground or water. 

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Disporum cantoniense

Indigenous herb of forest edges and open places in forests of montane region.  Flowering April to October.

Variegated Flutterer (Rhyothemis variegata variegata)

Very common dragonfly found throughout the year usually as large groups near weedy tanks, streams, paddy fields and marsh areas of  low country. 

Kosters curse/Soap bush (Miconia crenata [Syn: Clidemia hirta])

An invasive shrub native to the South America. Introduced probably as an ornamental plant and naturalized in several tropical countries including Sri Lanka. It is widely distributed along rain forest pathways and streams of wet and montane zones. Also in roadsides and disturbed grounds of lowland wet zone to tea estates in up country. Propagation is mainly due to the seeds spread by birds. 

Common Pierrot (Castalius rosimon)

Common butterfly distributed from lowlands to foot hills. It prefers open areas and usually found in roadsides. Like several other butterflies, males of this species too are fond of settling on damp earth to absorb minerals. According to Ormiston amount of black on upper wings of this butterfly vary with location and wet zone (Galle) specimens have light marks while darkest are from dry zone (Jaffna) and hills (Haldummulla) (Ormiston W. The Butterflies of Ceylon 1924). Larva feeds on  Ziziphus mauritiana, Ziziphus linnaei,  Ziziphus oenopolia (හීන් එරමිණියා), Gouania microcarpa, and Ziziphus rugosa. Egg laying also observed on Ziziphus xylopyrus.

රතු පින්න[Rathu-pinna]/Pagoda flower/Red glorybower (Clerodendrum paniculatum)

Native plant of Southeast Asia. Introduced to Sri Lanka and naturalized in disturbed areas. Often along roads. It is believed that when fed this plant to the elephants they become more confident and brave.

Indian Black bird (Turdus simillimus)

A breeding resident restricted to higher hills above 1000m a.s.l. Indian Black bird is an essentially ground bird common in forest undergrowth, well wooded gardens and tea plantations. It feeds on insects among the leaf litter on the ground and also takes berries. Active mostly during the early morning and again in the dusk. Main breeding season is from March to April and probably again from August to September. 

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දියපර/ගොඩපර[Diyapara/Godapara](Dillenia suffruticosa)

Native plant of Sumatra, Malaysia and Borneo. Introduced to Peradeniya botanical garden as an ornamental tree in late nineteenth century. It becomes an invasive plant in stream banks, forest edges, wastelands, roadsides and neglected plantations of wet lowlands. A bright yellow flower of this species is the key to distinguish it from other three indigenous varieties of Dillenia (with white flowers) grows in Sri Lanka. 

Mysore clock vine (Thunbergia mysorensis)

Native climber of Mysore region of southern India. It is cultivated in Sri Lankan home gardens usually as a shade to verandahs of houses. 

Jungle Threadtail (Elattoneura caesia)

An endemic and rare damselfly of mid elevations of the country, found along streams in primary rain forests .

මුස්සැන්ද/වෙල්-බුත්සරණ[Mussenda, Wel-but-sarana] (Mussaenda frondosa)

Mussenda is a common indigenous shrub of about 2m tall, grows in secondary forests, roadsides and forests edges in both dry and wet zone from sea level to about 4000ft altitude. White leaves of this plant are edible and fried and eaten like ‘papadam’. All most all parts of this plant have medicinal values. Congee made from all the parts of the plant are used to treat hepatitis while roots used for white leprosy and flowers for asthma, fever and dropsy. Leaves and flowers are also used to remove inflammations and as a detergent for ulcers (Medicinal plants used in Ceylon Part 4 – Jayaweera).