පතොක් [Pathok]Velvet opuntia/Nopales opuntia (Opuntia cochenillifera)

An introduced high-growing cactus native to Southern Mexico. Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental and also as a hedge plant.

කටු කරඬු[Katu Karadu]/Yellow Hedge Barleria (Barleria prionitis)

Common indigenous prickly shrub in open waste places and scrub lands in the dry zone. Sometimes also cultivated as a hedge plant. in village dwellings. Flowering from March to August. Whole plant, especially its roots medicinal.

Coral vine/Mexican Creeper (Antigonon leptopus)

An introduced large herb climbing with long tendrils over walls, hedges and other vegetation. Native to the central America. Flowering throughout the year. Cultivated as an ornamental and also escaped and naturalized.

ඒකාවේරිය/නකුල/රත් ඒකාවේරිය[Ekaveriya/Nakula/Rath Ekaveriya]/Indian Snakeroot(Rauvolfia serpentina)

An indigenous sub - shrub  of secondary scrub lands and grassy places of the wet lowlands up to about 700 m elevations. Due to not observing of it during the 'Flora of Ceylon project' Herbert Huber  noted in 1983 that it may have been possibly extinct in the wild due to intense exploitation (Dasanayaka M.D. & Fosberg F.R., 1983, Flora of Ceylon Vol 4). However 2012 Red list categorized it under the Endangered status. It is an important medicinal plant.

Brazilian Red Cloak (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys)

An introduced ornamental shrub native to Venezuela.  Cultivated in gardens.

Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana)

Native plant of tropical and subtropical North America. Introduced and naturalized in waste and disturbed places, usually near houses. 

බිං දෙළුම්/ඇත් පිටවක්කා[Bin delung/Et pitawakka](Synostemon bacciformis [Syn: Sauropus bacciformis])

An indigenous prostrating herb of sandy saline areas near sea, inland sandy areas near tanks and tidal flat margins.

Dog's tongue (Pseudelephantopus spicatus)

A recent addition to the Flora of Sri Lanka*. An introduced herb native to the Caribbean. First time recorded from altitude 400 m of Peak wilderness. Numerous naturalized plants observed at Meethirigala forest reserve of Gampaha district (Personal observation, 2016/01/29).

* Illustrated field guide to the flowers of Sri Lanka Volume 2 - J. & J de Vlas, 2014

Gaertnera walkeri

An endemic shrub occurs in the hill country forests from 900 to 2000 m a.s.l.

Queen of flowering trees/Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis)

Native tree of  Myanmar (Former Burma). Introduced to the Peradeniya botanical garden in 1860 and since then it has been cultivated as an ornamental tree. The Queen of flowering trees is now extinct in the wild.

ඇත් අඩි[Eth adi] (Elephantopus scaber)

Common indigenous herb grows along roadsides, patanas, scrub lands, plantations and as a weed in lawns from lowlands to 2100 m  altitudes in the hill country.Roots and leaves medicinal.

Tail flower/Flamingo flower/Laceleaf (Anthurium andraeanum)

Widely cultivated ornamental pot plant native to Colombia and Ecuador. 

ගඟ වැරැල්ල [Ganga Werella](Phyllanthus myrtifolius)

An endemic shrub occurs along watercourses in forests from 300 to 600 m altitudes. Also planted in home gardens as an ornamental hedge plant.

Cardinals guard (Pachystachys coccinea)

Native shrub of French Guinea, Brazil, and Peru. Introduced and cultivated in gardens. 

හැමනිල්ල[Hemanilla] (Pogostemon auricularius)

An indigenous annual herb occurs among short grass along roadside ditches, paddy field borders, and boggy places in the wet lowlands up to about 1000 m a.s.l. Flowering from October to June. 

කරාබු නැටි[Karabu nati]Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

An introduced tree native to the Moluccas. Cultivated in intermediate to wet zone home gardens. Buds including the calyx tube are the cloves of commerce, a spice. Also use in traditional medicine. Widely cultivated in the intermediate zone north of Kandy.

Surinam Quassia (Quassia amara)

Native tree of Guiana and tropical South America. Introduced and cultivated in Sri Lanka mainly as an ornamental. It is also used in traditional medicine in some countries and can be used as an insecticide.

Oleander Hawk Moth (Daphnis nerii)

Location - Kotte.

Wing expanse - 8 - 10 cm

Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 14-15.

External links -  http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51996-Daphnis-nerii
Larval host plants - "Feeds on Oleander (Nerium oleander ) and Cinchona" - Moore, F.Z.S., 1882-3, Desert rose (Adenium obesum) & වතු-සුද්ද/Sri Lanka Jasmine/Grape-Jasmine/Wathu-Sudhdha (Tabernaemontana divaricata) - (Sujeeva Gunasena, Personal communication )

බූ ගැටිය/මහ ගැටිය/වට්ටි වැටි[Bu gatiya/Maha gatiya/Watti weti] (Hugonia mystax[Hugonia serrata])

Common native scrambling shrub in the dry zone shrub forests and forest edges. The mature stem is used to make frames of cane and bamboo baskets, hence the vernacular name වට්ටි වැටි. Roots medicinal.

Ipomoea horsfalliae

A twining vine native to Jamaica. Introduced and cultivated in gardens.

සමදරා[Samadara](Quassia indica)

Common native shrub or small tree in forests of wet lowlands. Flowering and fruiting from March to May. Bark, roots and fruits are used in traditional and Ayurveda medicine. Infusion of the leaves is a good insecticide.

Mother-in-law's tongue (Dracaena hyacinthoides [Syn: Sansevieria hyacinthoides])

An introduced herb often planted in hedges. 

හීන් ඇඹල/හීන් ඕලු [Heen ambala/Heen olu]/Crested snowflakes/Floating heart(Nymphoides hydrophylla)

An indigenous aquatic herb occurs in the dry lowland ponds and stagnant pools from sea level to about 150 m a.s.l. Very common in the Trincomalee district.  Flowering throughout the year.

සාදික්කා[Sadikka]/Mace/Nutmeg(Myristica fragrans)

Native tree of Moluccas. Introduced and cultivated in intermediate and wet zone home gardens. Fruit medicinal and aril/seed use as a spice. 

පතොක් [Pathok]/Pricky pear (Opuntia monacantha)

An introduced ornamental cactus native to tropical North America. Cultivated and also escaped and naturalized along roadsides of the dry zone.

රත් පිටවක්කා[Rat pitawakka] (Phyllanthus urinaria)

Native herb grows in open areas of both wet and dry zone from sea level to about 1500 m elevations.

අලිගැට පේර[Aligata pera]Avacado/Alligator pear (Persea americana)

Native tree of Mexico and Central America. Widely cultivated in home gardens as a fruit tree. 

Suregada lanceolata

An indigenous shrub occurs along river and stream sides in lowland primary and secondary forests up to 800 m a.s.l.

* Suregada angustifolia (Müll.Arg.) Airy Shaw is a synonym of Suregada lanceolata 

Barleria courtallica (Barleria nutans)

Very rare shrubby herb considered as a Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) plant under 2012 Red list. It has only been reported from two mid- hill localities in Kandy district (Hantana & Alagalla)  till recent discovery of it from two wet lowland forest patches (Jayasinghe H.D., 2015). 

Crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii)

Native shrub of Madagascar.Widely cultivated in home gardens as an ornamental. 

ගහල[Gahala]/Taro/Elephant's ear (Colocasia esculenta)

An introduced large herb probably with Southeast Asian origin. Now pan-tropically cultivated and also escaped and naturalized in open wet places. Very common from lowlands to intermediate altitude throughout the country. Its underground stem edible and many edible and ornamental cultivars exist. It is considered as an invasive since dense stand of wild Taro displace native flora and block waterways, canals and invade rice fields in the wet zone. 

නෙළු[Nelu] (Strobilanthes adenophora)

Rather rare endemic under shrub in southwest wet lowland forests, often by streams from 50 m to 200 m altitudes. 

ගිරා පලා[Gira pala] (Commelina diffusa)

Very common native creeping herb occurs along roadsides, open areas, forest edges, margins of rivers, streams, tanks, ponds and marshes, etc. from sea level to about 1000 (-1540) m a.s.l. Sometimes growing in the water and also a weed in paddy fields. Flowering from October to July.