Actinoscirpus grossus [Schoenoplectus grossus]

Grass like native perennial weed grows in marshy places, both inland and near the coast.  Often occurs as large community. Culms used to make baskets and mats. 

කොබෝ-ලීල[Kobo-leela]/Dwarf white orchid-tree(Bauhinia acuminata )

An introduced shrub native to Southeast Asia. Cultivated as an ornamental in home gardens. Flowering most of the year.

ඇහැළ[Ehela]/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold (Cassia fistula)

An indigenous tree widely cultivated as an ornamental along roadsides and home gardens. Good timber tree and whole part of the tree used in traditional medicine.

White Orange Tip (Ixias marianne)

Common butterfly flies in the dry low country scrublands. Commoner in the northern part of the island especially in the Jaffna and Mannar districts though also occurs in the south and southeastern areas. Larval host plants are Capparis brevispina, Capparis grandis and Capparis sepiaria of the family Capparaceae .  

Afrohybanthus enneaspermus [Syn: Hybanthus enneaspermus]

Common indigenous herb grows among grass in open areas of the low country. Whole plant medicinal and shampoo made from the plant removes dandruff. Flowering throughout the year.

වල් ත්‍රස්තවාලු [Wal-Trasta-Walu](Hewittia malabarica [Syn: Hewittia sublobata])

Common indigenous vine occurs along roadsides, grasslands, scrub lands, forest edges, cultivation, waste lands, etc. from sea level to about 1000 m altitude in both wet and dry zones. Flowering from June to August. 

ගිනි-කැන්ද[Gini-kandha]/Bleeding-heart tree(Homalanthus populifolius)

Probably an introduced tree native to Australia & New Guinea* (Also in Malaysia and Pacific islands) though it was considered as a doubtfully native in Sri Lanka#. It occurs in both primary and secondary forests in the hill country from  1550 m to 2000 m elevations, usually in areas adjacent to tea estates.

* Illustrated field guide to the flowers of Sri Lanka J. & J. de Vlas
# Flora of Ceylon Vol 11 Dasanayaka M.D. & Clayton W.D.*

මහ ඇපල[Maha epala]/Tropical rose-mallow(Hibiscus vitifolius)

Common indigenous shrub occurs in open places, waste lands and forest edges in the dry lowlands below 150 m a.s.l. Flowering from August to September and March to April (Probably also in other months). 

Cyclothea disjuncta?

Location - Bamunukotuwa (Kurunagala district)
Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 3 Page 429 as Thalera disjuncta.
Expanse - 3 cm
External Links -http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1124359

හුලන් තලා [Hulan tala]/Goat weed/White weed (Ageratum conyzoides)

Native herb of tropical America. Very common invasive weed along roadsides, cultivated grounds and waste places throughout the island. Flowering throughout the year. Flowers white, blue or mauve.

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

Native plant of Indonesia, Malaysia and the western Pacific ocean islands. Introduced and widely cultivated in gardens. There are several hundred cultivars with wide diversity of leaf shapes and colors.

බූ-දද-කීරිය[Bu-Dada-Kiriya]/Common Spurgeof (Euphorbia hirta)

Common introduced weed of waste and cultivated grounds.

Grey-breasted Prinia/Franklin's Prinia (Prinia hodgsonii)

An uncommon breeding resident occurs locally from lowlands to mid hills. Much commoner in the dry zone and rare in the wet lowlands. It lives as pairs or as small flocks in forest edges, scrublands and grasslands. Its food consists of small insects such as moths, grasshoppers and caterpillars. The breeding season lasts from March to June. The nest placed within a pocket made by 'sawing' together of two large leaves or few smaller leaves like the Tailor bird. Nest usually build about 2 or 3 feet of the ground and it lays 3 eggs in it. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

තෙල් තල [Thel Thala]/Gingerlly (Sesamum indicum)

An introduced annual herb with origin uncertain (Probably Africa or India). Widely cultivated and also naturalized along roadsides, waste lands and abandoned fields in the dry zone. Flowering from May to August and possibly throughout the year. Seeds edible.

Sleepy Morning (Waltheria indica)

An introduced shrubby herb native to tropical America.  It occurs along roadsides, weedy fields, waste places, rocky outcrops and cultivation from 8 to 330 m a.s.l. 

Cadaba trifoliata

An indigenous shrub or small tree occurs in lowland dry areas up to about 150 m a.s.l.

Ornate narrow mouthed frog/විසිතුරු මුව පටු මැඩියා (Microhyla ornata)

Rather common small frog inhabiting mainly anthropogenic habitats such as agricultural fields, plantations, home gardens, etc. from lowlands to about 465 m a.s.l. Commoner in the dry lowlands though also recorded from few locations of Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. It hides under leaf litter, decaying logs, rocks, etc. during the day and forage during the night around open areas near small water bodies.

Taprobanea spathulata [Syn: Vanda spathulata]

An uncommon orchid species found on shrubs, trees and among rocks in intermediate and dry zone. Flowering from March to September and December.

Knobweed (Hyptis capitata)

Introduced large herb native to tropical America. First collected from Sri Lanka in 1953. Naturalized in waste places and along roadsides in slightly shaded places, often close to ditches and watercourses. It occurs from wet lowlands to lower hills up to 600 m a.s.l. Flowering from January to September.   

කොළොන්[Kolon] (Adina cordifolia [Syn: Haldina cordifolia])

An indigenous large tree common in dry and intermediate zone forests. Juice of bark is used to kill worms in sores and wood use in construction and carving industry. 

Grey-bellied Cuckoo/Indian Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis passerinus)

Rather uncommon winter visitor to the lowland and mid hill scrublands, open forests and gardens. Much common in the dry zone. Also a summer loiterer. Grey-bellied Cuckoo usually seen as solitary birds though rarely occurs in small flocks. It feeds on insects by picking from foliage, ground or taking in flight like flycatchers. It is usually silent during the winter. It breeds in India from July to October. Parasitic on Prinias and Tailor birds. Female occurs in two color phases: reddish brown hepatic phase and the phase which resembles the male.

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Rungia longifolia

An endemic herb under shade and often close to streams in forests of moist lowlands. Flowering from March to April.
  

Heterotis rotundifolia

Native plant of tropical West Africa. Probably escaped from cultivation and naturalized in the wet lowland areas. 

හල් බැඹිය[Hal bebiya] (Cipadessa baccifera)

Common indigenous shrub or small tree occurs along forest edges, thickets, ravines and rock crevices in dry lowland and intermediate zone. Flowering throughout the year. 

Torenia anagallis [Syn: Lindernia anagallis]

An indigenous small herb common in harvested paddy fields and pond edges in wet lowlands and up to 550 m altitude in the wet hills. It usually grows in association with Lindernia rotundifolia. Flowering throughout the year.

Sonerila silvatica

Locally common endemic erect herb occurs in southwestern wet lowland forests. Sonerila silvatica grows sympatrically with the Sonerila rhombifolia.

Lollipop plant/Golden shrimp plant (Pachystachys lutea)

An introduced ornamental shrub native to Central and South America from El Salvador to Peru. Cultivated in gardens. 

හීන් ඇඹිල්ල[Heen Abilla] (Antidesma alexiteria)

Common native shrub or small tree distributed in both wet and dry lowlands. 

Dysphania palmyra

Expanse - 7 - 8 cm

Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 3 Page 422- 423.

Larval host plant - දවට (Carallia brachiata)

External Links - http://www.inaturalist.org/listed_taxa/3412330

Spermacoce exilis [Spermacoce mauritiana]

An introduced annual herb native to tropical America. Naturalized in shady places and among grass (in the wet lowlands ?)

Phyllanthus pulcher

Small shrub native to tropical Southeast Asia. Introduced and now an invasive in disturbed rain forest habitats of Kalutara and Ratnapura districts.

Justicia ceylanica

Rather common endemic herb occurs in southwestern wet lowlands and mid country forests, often beside rocks and along streams. Flowering from February to March and again from August to November.

Sesamum radiatum

An introduced erect annual herb occurs in waste places from north of Colombo to Negombo. Sesamum raditum is  native to tropical West Africa. Flowering from May to August or probably throughout the year. Trimen noted that "no doubt it is spread from Botanic gardens".

Nyctemera lacticinia

Location - Sigiriya

Expanse - Male: 3.8cm cm Female: 4.5cm

Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 47- 48.

Ecology - Day flier

External links : http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/124131-Nyctemera-lacticinia

කන් කුඹල[Kan kubala] (Cynanchum tunicatum)

Rather uncommon indigenous herb twining in hedges and fences of the dry zone. Flowering from November to March.

Vincetoxicum bracteatum [Syn: Tylophora pauciflora]

Rather rare indigenous twining plant growing mainly in the dry lowlands. Also cultivated in wet and intermediate zone home gardens. 

අඟුණ/තිත්ත අඟුණ/අනුක්කොල/කිරි අඟුණ(Wattakaka volubilis [Syn: Dregea volubilis])

An indigenous twiner climbing in trees and shrubs, distributed in dry lowlands up to about 1000 m a.s.l. Flowering from March to April and again rarely from August to November.  Leaves edible and eaten as curries. Leaves also used in traditional medicine.

Trichosanthes scabra [Syn: Gymnopetalum scabrum/Gymnopetalum integrifolium]

Largely creeping and climbing native annual herb common in the waste places of dry and intermediate zones up to about 200 m altitude. Flowers opening in the evening. 

Dotted Sable (Bocchoris inspersalis)

Location - Indhikada Mookalana forest reserve.
External Links - http://www.inaturalist.org/listed_taxa/3413230
                         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocchoris_inspersalis

Struchium sparganophorum

An introduced erect herb native to tropical America. It was first collected at Meerigama in November 1931. Rather uncommon naturalized weed in moist ground and ditches in South and Western lowland areas of the island. Flowering from July to March. 

එළ මල් [Ela mal]/White-ginger Lily/Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium)

Native large herb of India and Malaysia. Perhaps also native to the Sri Lanka*. Cultivated and also naturalized in the wet lowlands and hill country up to about 1500 m altitudes

* Illustrated field guide to the flowers of Sri Lanka - J & J de Vlas 

Emilia zeylanica

Large indigenous herb grows in patanas, forest borders, ridges, etc. in higher elevations. Flowering throughout the year. Two varieties (var. zeylanica & var. walkeri) occurs in Sri Lanka and both are endemic. Variety zeylanica restricted to the patana lands between 2000-2300 m altitudes.

Clerodendrum laevifolium [Syn: Clerodendrum wallichii]

Native from Himalayan India, Pakistan, Bhutan, to Myanmar and Vietnam. Introduced and occasionally cultivated in home gardens. 

Common Albatross (Appias albina darada)

Common butterfly of the hill country. But not occurred in the very high elevations. It takes parts in migrations and also settles on wet patches on paths, river beds, etc. to absorb minerals in large numbers. Its only known larval food plant in Sri Lanka is Drypetes sepiaria.

වල් රඹුටන්/ඌරු කොස්ස[Wal-Rambutang/Uru-Kossa] (Xanthium strumarium subsp. strumarium[Syn: Xanthium indicum])

Common indigenous large herb occurs in moist places, roadsides, cultivated grounds, dry margins of tanks and in waste places in the dry zone. 

ලේනතැරිය/ලේන්තැරි/ලේන්තැරි පුවක්[Lenatheriya/Lenteri/Lenteri-Puwak] (Areca concinna)

An endemic and endangered small tree occurs in swamp forests and valley bottoms from Kalutara to Galle in the southwestern wet lowlands. Flowers and fruits throughout the year.

බිං අවරි[Bin Awari](Indigofera linnaei)

An indigenous prostrate herb. Very common in dry and open places and near seashores in the dry and intermediate zones. 

Asota producta

Location - Yagirala forest reserve. 

Wing expanse - 3.5 - 7 cm

Reference - The Lepidoptera of Ceylon - F. Moore, F.Z.S. Vol 2 Page 52-53.

External Links : http://www.inaturalist.org/listed_taxa/5170587

Perennial peanut/Pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi)

An introduced creeping herb native to the Central Brazil. It was introduced as a ground cover in tea plantations and now naturalizing along roads in the hill country.

කොන්ඩේ[Konde] (Uniyala wightiana [Syn: Vernonia wightiana])

A indigenous shrub common in patanas, grassy banks and montane forests above 1000 m a.s.l. Flowering from November to May.