Wednesday, January 31, 2018

රත් තණ[Rat Tana] (Ischaemum ciliare [Syn: Ischaemum indicum])

Common native perennial of open areas, grassy glades in the lowland forests, roadsides, ditch banks, pond margins, lawns and in patana grasslands of the hills from lowlands to 2300 m elevations. 

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

දිය තණ[Diya tana] (Urochloa mutica [Syn: Brachiaria mutica])

An introduced perennial forming dense colonies in marshes, wet pastures, stream margins, tank edges and paddy fields from sea level to about 800 m elevations. 

Monday, January 29, 2018

Zornia gibbosa

Common native herb found in lawns and among short vegetation in the dry zone.

Flower size - 1-1.2 cm long

Sunday, January 28, 2018

අද්දුල[Addula] (Ehretia aspera [Syn: Ehretia laevis])

An indigenous shrub or small tree common in forests, forest borders and roadsides of the dry zone.
Flower size - About 0.4 cm across

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Cardiospermum grandiflorum

An introduced climbing herb native to the tropical America. Naturalized along forest margins and roadsides in Anuradhapura and Mathale districts. 

Friday, January 26, 2018

Stenotaphrum dimidiatum

Common native grass species occurs often in shades of trees along coast and inland at low to medium elevations. 

Thursday, January 25, 2018

නයාදැස්ස[Nayadessa] (Eurya nitida)

Rather uncommon native shrub along submontane forest edges of the wet zone from 425 to 2100 m elevations. Flowering and fruiting from September to March.

Flower Size - 0.3-0.4 cm across

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Utricularia scandens

An indigenous terrestrial herb of bogs and wet grasslands from near sea level to 1100 m a.s.l. Flowering from December to March.

Monday, January 22, 2018

Indian Comet Grass (Paspalum sumatrense [Perotis indica])

 An indigenous annual or short-lived perennial widespread in open areas of forests and grasslands, roadsides and sandy soils near coast in both wet and dry zones from sea level to about 200 m a.s.l. 

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Polygala chinensis

Common native prostrate herb occurs among grassy patches or sandy soil in the dry lowlands.
Flower size - 0.5 cm across

Saturday, January 20, 2018

හක් ඇඹල[Hak Ambala]/Fringed begonia (Begonia hirtella)

An introduced herb native to tropical America. Escaped and naturalized widely in humid shady places of the wet mid country. Flowering all the year round.  

Friday, January 19, 2018

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Ischaemum barbatum

Common native grass of patanas, grassy stream banks and roadsides, pastures, lawns, pond margins etc. from seal level to 1900 m elevations. 

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Utricularia hirta

Critically endangered, native terrestrial herb of damp or wet open grassy places in the wet lower hill country up to 900 m a.s.l. Flowering in February.  Utricularia hirta is the only Sri Lankan Utricularia species with hairs on the peduncle and on the inflorescence calyx.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Cyperus platyphyllus

Rather rare indigenous perennial growing in large tufts in marshy places of low altitudes. 

Sunday, January 14, 2018

නා/නාමල්[Na/Namal]/Iron Wood (Mesua ferrea)

The national tree of Sri Lanka though not endemic to the country. Much cultivated as an ornamental in Buddhist temples and home gardens or as an avenue tree along roads. Wild trees found usually in river valleys in wetter part of the island up to about 1000 m a.s.l. Wood extremely hard. Flowers and leaves used in traditional medicine.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

අමු[Amu] (Paspalum scrobiculatum)

Common native perennial occurs in open grassy areas, roadsides, patanas, ditches, margins of paddy fields, tanks and marshlands etc. from sea level to about 1900 m elevations. Cultivated form of Paspalum scrobiculatum is very rarely cultivated as a cereal. 

Friday, January 12, 2018

Henckelia humboldtiana [Syn: Didymocarpus humboldtianus]

An indigenous herb rather common mainly in the montane zone up to 1700 m a.s.l. Also found in the intermediate and dry zones. Early records also available from the wet lowlands. It grows in rock crevices and small pockets of soil on rock surfaces, mostly in the shade, but occasionally on moist exposed surfaces. Flowering throughout the year. 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Mistflower/Spreading snakeroot (Ageratina riparia [Syn: Eupatorium riparium])

Native herb of Mexico and West Indies. Probably introduced as an ornamental (Earliest specimen was collected from the neighborhood of  Hakgala Botanic garden in 1926). Escaped and widely naturalized along roadsides and tracks, margins of cultivation and forest edges and waste lands above 1300 m elevations.It has become a serious weed and listed as a invasive plant to Sri Lanka. Mistflower forms a dense strand and prevent the growth of native plants. Seeds spread by wind and water. Flowering from December to May and probably throughout the year.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

ගිරා පලා[Gira pala] (Commelina indehiscens)

Rather uncommon native herb of evergreen forests and roadsides, often near streams from 250 to 1800 m elevations.  Flowering from November to January. 

Monday, January 8, 2018

Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris sita)

Rather rare butterfly of mid hill forests from 600 to 900 m elevations, while descending to 400 m a.s.l. along southern and southwestern part of the hills. This butterfly mimics the poisonous Common Jeseble by size, coloration and wing pattern as well as the behavior, especially in its style of flight. However if disturbed it immediately flies away with great speed.  Painted Sawtooth males often settles on wet patches on ground for mud puddling. Female rarely encountered and spends much of its time inside the forest. Its larva feeds on Capparis moonii

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Utricularia bifida

An indigenous small terrestrial herb found on wet soil and rocks, and as a weed in paddy fields from sea level to 1600 m a.s.l. Flowering in June, July and November to January. 

Saturday, January 6, 2018

වල් ඇඹිල්ල/කටු ඇඹිල්ල[Wal Embilla/Katu Embilla] (Elaeagnus latifolia)

An indigenous shrub common in the shrub jungles around the patanas and forest edges in the mid hills of moist and intermediate zones. Flowering periodically throughout the year. Flowers fragrant and fruits edible. 

Friday, January 5, 2018

Sacciolepis indica

A common native grass in wet depressions and moist grassy slopes, sometime in partial shade from near sea level to over 1520 m elevations. 

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

රට කැටඹිල්ල[Rata Ketambilla]/Rose-Leaved Bramble/Wild Raspberry (Rubus rosifolius)

An indigenous low shrub occurs in shady moist areas, along streams or borders of tea estates and open places or cleared slopes along roadsides among bushes or patana margins mainly in the Kandy district. Flowering from January to March. Fruits edible and collecting to make Jam. 

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Impatiens henslowiana

Rather rare native perennial of scrub and rocky places in the hill country rain forests from 900 to 2000 m elevations. Often found close to rivers and streams or in the spray zone of waterfalls. Large herb of about 60-150 cm tall.

Monday, January 1, 2018

Habenaria acuminata

Rather common native terrestrial orchid species found among grass and other weeds on the slopes and hill cuttings in the submontane zone between 915 and 1524 m elevations.