Monday, December 17, 2018

African Lily/Lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus africanus)

An introduced large herb native to Southern Africa. Cultivated in the montane region as an ornamental and for cut-flowers.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Montbretia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora)

An introduced ornamental herb cultivated at high elevations. Escaped and naturalized in open places, along roadsides, footpaths etc. It is a fertile hybrid between Crocosmia pottsi and Crocosmia aurea both native to Africa.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

පේර[Pera]/Guava (Psidium guajava)

An introduced small tree or shrub widely cultivated in home gardens for its edible fruits. Native to tropical America.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

මළ මිරිස් වැල්/වල් ගම්මිරිස් [Mala Miris Wel/Wal Gammiris] (Piper fallax [Syn: Piper sylvestre])

An indigenous terrestrial vine common in the lower hill country and ascending to about 800 m a.s.l. (Rarely up to 1300 m a.s.l.) Rare and usually confined to gallery forests in the dry zone. Most frequent in secondary forests. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Whorled twintip (Stemodia verticillata)

An introduced annual herb native to tropical America. Naturalized in cultivated grounds and roadsides of the hill country. Flowering from July to December.
Flower size - About 0.3 cm across.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Dicliptera japonica [Syn: Peristrophe japonica]

An indigenous (?) prostrate herb grows among grass in light shade of the Northern dry and intermediate regions.

*An addition to the flora of Sri Lanka by J. &J.  de Vlas, 2008
*** With the J. & J. deVlas, 2019 this plant was re-identified as endemic Dicliptera neesii. So that Peristrophe japonica is no longer a plant species occurs in Sri Lanka. 


Friday, October 12, 2018

පතන බෝ/කවුඩු බෝ/කපුටු බෝ[Patana bo/Kaudu bo/Kaputu bo] (Ficus arnottiana)

An indigenous small banyan or independent tree without aerial roots, occurs in dry zone open forests, on grassy hillsides and rocky places below 1000 m a.s.l. 

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Setaria barbata

An indigenous grass species with uncertain origin but surely native to the Old World. Common in weedy grassy areas with at least partial shade and in lawns and flower beds from 500 to 800 m elevations (As per Flora of Ceylon Vol 8. But it is now spread to much lower elevations)

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

වල් නිවිති[Wal Nivithi] (Cissus vitiginea)

Common native liana climbing in trees and shrubs of the dry lowlands. Flowering recorded from all months excepts May. 

Sunday, October 7, 2018

වල් වරකා[Wal Waraka](Casearia zeylanica[Syn: Casearia esculenta])

Common native shrub or tree found in dry zone forests, open scrub lands, sand dunes, secondary sub montane forests, coconut plantations, mangrove swamp margins and gallery forests along sandy river banks from sea level to 1500m elevations. Fruits edible. 

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Petiveria alliacea

An introduced small shrub native to the tropical America. Escaped and naturalized along forest edges and hedges as well as the waste grounds around the Kandy (and probably Mathale) . 

Thursday, October 4, 2018

බණ්ඩක්කා [Bandakka]/Lady's fingers/Okra(Abelmoschus esculentus)

An introduced annual herb probably native to the Ethiopia. Widely cultivated in gardens and plantations for its edible fruits. 

Friday, September 21, 2018

ඇටෝර/ඇටවරා[Etora/Etawara](Panicum repens)

An indigenous weedy perennial grass species common along roadsides, edges of marshes, ditches, paddy fields and  tanks from sea level up to about 2000 m a.s.l.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ[Mun/Mun eta/Bu me]/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean/(Vigna radiata)

An erect or climbing herb. Cultivated crop of ancient uncertain origin. Also naturalized in the dry areas. Pods eaten raw or cooked. Whole or split seeds used in soup and other preparations. 

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Cyanotis thwaitesii

An indigenous perennial herb grows on rocky hills and slopes, inselbergs, rock outcrops, shallow soil in rocky grasslands, edge of rock pools, large boulders, rock crevices and rocky banks with seepage; usually in full sun and occasionally in shade from 200 (75) to 1600 m a.s.l. Flowering in August, October to January and March. 

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Crotalaria scabrella

An indigenous erect or procurement herb grows on patanas and sometime in roadside open places in the montane zone. 

Monday, September 17, 2018

Cyperus paniceus

Common native perennial grows along roadsides and open areas from lowlands to hills in both dry and wet zones.  

Sunday, September 16, 2018

හණ[Hana]/Hemp/Sunn hemp(Crotalaria juncea)

An introduced annual herb native to the India. Widely cultivated as a cover crop and for fiber. Escaped and naturalized along roads. It was considered as a Data Deficient plant in the 2010 Red List. Old specimens available from Matale, Badulla, Nilgala, Between Habarana & Kanthale, Kalawewa, Kurunegala and from Kegalle district without having exact locations (Flora of Ceylon Vol 7). Recently few plants were observed from a Savannah habitat at Rahathangala ( Jayasinghe H.D., 2015), This record is from a roadside location of newly constructed Kongahawela - Elehara road (B312) near Moragahakanda reservoir .