Ducklettuce (Ottelia alismoides)

Common native floating herb with fully or partly submerged leaves, occurs in standing stagnant pools and shallow slow running streams.

Blunt Arrowhead (Limnophyton obtusifolium)

Common native marsh plant grows in tanks and ponds, mainly in the dry lowlands. Flowering from February to April and August to September. 

ලුණුවරණ [Lunuwarana] (Crateva adansonii)

Common native tree occurs in dry woodlands and scrub lands of lower altitudes.

Rosy Starling/රෝස සැරිකාවා/රෝස මයිනා[Rosa Sarikava/Rosa Myna] (Pastor roseus)

An uncommon winter migrant mainly to the dry lowlands and particularly to the coastal areas. Rosy Starling is a highly gregarious and noisy bird spends much of its time on the ground, feeding on insects, fruits,berries, nectar and grains. During its stay in Sri Lanka it inhabits grasslands, cultivation, home gardens and forests. It is an irregular winter visitor appears in large numbers in some years and almost absent in some other years. Large numbers gather to roost communally to a selected tree or a large shrub during the night. It breeds in East Europe and Middle East and almost entire world population winters in India and Sri Lanka. Most of the birds which visits the island appears to be in immature plumage. 

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Madras Carpet (Grangea maderaspatana)

An uncommon  native prostrate herb on moist grounds like margins of tanks in the drier northern part of the country. Flowering throughout the year.

Creeping Lickstoop (Dentella repens)

An indigenous mat forming prostrate herb grows on sandy river banks, empty tank beds and open areas. Also occurs as a weed in rice fields and lawns.  

Lily of the valley (Pinalia bicolor[Syn: Eria bicolor])

Very common indigenous tufted epiphyte on trees above 1000 m a.s.l in sub montane tropical wet evergreen forests extending to the subtropical montane forests up to 2200 m elevations.

Strobilanthes schomburgkii

Commonly cultivated in hedges in moist lowlands and hills. Occasionally escaped and naturalized*.
*Not in the Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon (J & J Vlas , 2014)

Coleus malabaricus [Syn: Plectranthus malabaricus]

Large indigenous herb restricted to the shaded places near streams in secondary submontane forests from 640 to 1400 m elevations. Rarely also occurs in wet lowland forests. Flowering throughout the year. 

වල් කරාඹු[Wal Karabu]/Tembusu (Cyrtophyllum fragrans [Syn: Fagraea fragrans])

An introduced tree cultivated as an ornamental and possibly also naturalized along forest edges.  It is native to Southeast Asia. 

Pavonia fryxelliana

An endemic woody herb or sub-shrub found on granite outcrops in Polonnaruwa and Ampara districts. 

Urophyllum ellipticum

Rather common endemic shrub or small tree occurs in tropical wet evergreen forests, usually at lower elevations. 

Grey-headed Fish-eagle/Tank Eagle/වැව් රාජාලියා/අළුහිස් මසුකුස්සා[Wev rajaliya/Aluhus masukussa](Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus)

Rather uncommon breeding resident in the dry lowland forested tanks, lakes and rivers. It spends much of its time perch on a branch above water, watching for a fish to come near the water surface. Grey-headed Fish-eagle utters a loud noise early in the morning and late in the afternoon, especially during the breeding season. The breeding season lasts from December to March. The nest is a large heap of sticks set high in a tree, where it lays one or two eggs. 

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Kandyn Dancer/ Dancing Lady/Oncidium Golden Shower (Oncidium sphacelatum x Oncidium. flexuosum)

Probably a native plant of Brazil. Widely cultivated in pots or hanging containers in home gardens throughout the island. Flowering occurs all the year round.

කටු කිහිරි[Katu kihiri] (Vachellia nilotica [Syn: Acacia nilotica])

An indigenous tree also native to Egypt, Arabia and India. Naturalized and spreading in the dry and arid areas, mainly near the coast. Bark use as a tanning material and timber hard as teak. 

මහ අන්දර/කටු අන්දර[Maha Andara/Katu Andara] (Vachellia leucophloea [Syn: Acacia leucophloea])

Common native tree occurs in the dry areas of the country. Bark acting as a clarifier and flavoring agent in arrack distilling in India and for dyeing sails, mats, ropes and for tanning in Sri Lanka. Pods used as fodder and wood in construction industry.

Watercock/විල් කුකුලා/කෝරාවා[Wil kukula/Korawa] (Gallicrex cinera)

Rather uncommon elusive breeding resident inhabiting marshlands, reed beds and well grown paddy fields throughout the lowlands. It is largely a nocturnal bird and due to its skulking habit of moving among reeds it is considered as one of the difficult bird to observe. Watercock mainly feeds on grains, rice-blades, tender shoots, etc. It also eat insects and molluscs. It breeds from July to August during the southwestern monsoons. The nest is a mass of weed well hidden in dense vegetation where it lays two eggs. 

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කොහොඹ[Kohomba]/Neem/Margosa(Azadirachta indica)

An introduced tree probably native to the Burma. Widely cultivated and also naturalized in the dry lowland areas. Whole plant medicinal, seeds insecticidal and wood used in construction industry.

දිවි අඩිය/දිවි පහුර[Divi adiya/Divi pahura](Ipomoea pes-tigridis)

An indigenous vine occurs along roadsides, grasslands, cultivated grounds and disturbed places mainly in the dry low country. 

කපු කිනිස්ස[Kapu kinissa](Hibiscus platanifolius [Syn: Hibiscus eriocarpus])

Common indigenous shrub or small tree grows in dry zone forests and forest margins. Flowering from January to April. 

රණවරා[Ranawara]/Matara Tea/Tanner's cassia(Senna auriculata[Cassia auriculata])

Common native shrub or small tree  occurs in dry zone jungles. Also cultivated in home gardens. Flowering from February to March. Roots, leaves and, seeds are medicinal and dried flowers and flower buds are used as a substitute for tea. 

ඉරමුසු/හීන්-ඉරමුසු[Iramusu/Heen-Iramusu] (Hemidesmus indicus)

An indigenous perennial twiner common in scrub lands and forests from lowlands to about 1000m elevation. Flowering in February. Roots use in traditional medicine as a tonic.

මඤ්ඤොක්කා[Manyokka]/Manioc/Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Native shrub of tropical America with long unbranched stem. Introduced by Portuguese during their reign of maritime provinces of the Sri Lanka.* Now widely cultivated in home gardens and plantations for its edible tuberous roots. Young leaves are also edible. Flowers can be seen only on large neglected plants.

* Tagus to Taprobane, Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya, 2001

සේපාලිකා[Sepalika]/Coral jasmine/Sorrowful nyctanthes/Tree of sadness/Tree of sorrow(Nyctanthes arbor-tristis)

An introduced straggling shrub or small tree widely cultivated in home gardens. Native to India, Thailand and Indonesia. Flowers opening at night and casting of at sunrise. Flowering occurs mainly from August to November, but also in other months.

ඇට පන්[Eta Pan] (Lepironia articulata)

Leafless indigenous perennial occurs in saline swamps and back marshes along the coast.  Known only from Muthurajawela marshy land and along Hamilton canal in the Negombo area and from Caltura (Kalutara?) (Flora of Ceylon Vol 5) *

* Photographed at Diyawanna oya marsh land of Kotte,  probably introduced to that area since part of former wetland is now turned into the Baddagana biodiversity park and Bird Sanctuary. 

නික/සුදු නික[Nika/Sudu nika]/Indian privet/Indian wild pepper (Vitex trifolia)

An indigenous shrub or small tree occurs from sea level to 650m a.s.l, mostly along the coast. Fruits and leaves are used in traditional medicine.  

Cyanotis pilosa

An indigenous herb occurs in montane patanas and open, moist roadsides from 1700 to 2400 m elevations. Flowering throughout the year.

මිල්ල/කහ මිල්ල/නියන් මිල්ල/මියන් මිල්ල/සපු මිල්ල[Milla/Kaha milla/Niyan milla/Miyan milla/Sapu milla]/(Vitex altissima)

Large native tree common in dry and intermediate zone forests. Also grown in home gardens. Bark medicinal and wood used in furniture making and construction industry. 

පොතු පලා[Pothu-pala] (Aniseia martinicensis)

Native vine with herbaceous stem of Central and South America. Introduced and naturalized in swampy areas, especially in paddy fields of southwestern lowlands. Leaves edible. 

එළ දදකිරිය[Ela dada kiriya] (Euphorbia indica)

Native annual herb grows in open grasslands, roadsides and cultivation up to about 1500 m a.s.l.

මයුර තණ[Mayura Tana] (Chloris barbata)

An indigenous grass occurs in the low country, mainly in the dry zone. A weed of waste places, coastal areas, abandoned cultivation, etc.

හක්-ඇඹල/මහ හක්-ඇඹල[Hak-Ambala/Maha Hak-Ambala](Begonia malabarica)

An indigenous herb widely distributed in shady spots on rocky hill slopes and by streams of the wet zone forests from 100-1500 m elevations. Also occurs in wet and shady places in the isolated dry zone hills. Flowering throughout the year. 

Phyllanthus virgatus (Phyllanthus simplex)

Native herb of grassy areas and roadsides of the low country.