Monday, December 31, 2018

කුකුල් කටු/ගිනි අන්දර[Kukul Katu/Gini Andara]/Cockspur Thorn (Vachellia eburnea [Syn: Acacia eburnea])

Large or small bush or small tree common in the dry areas, especially near the coast. Native plant of India, Arabian peninsula and Afghanistan and introduced to Sri Lanka. (As per Vlas J. & J. de, 2014 but probably a Native of Sri Lanka)  

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Syke’s Yellow wagtail/කහ හැලපෙන්දා (Motacilla flava beema)

Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a winter migrant to the island. Several races of it have been recorded in Sri Lanka. Out of them race thunbergi is the commonest and other races are rare to very rare migrants or vagrants to the dry lowlands. Race beema (Syke’s Yellow wagtail) is considered as a very rare migrant to the low country dry zone. 

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Orthosiphon thymiflorus

An indigenous perennial herb grows under shade in secondary scrub of dry lowlands to drier lower uplands up to about 500 m a.s.l. Flowering from January to April.   

Friday, December 28, 2018

දිය කිරිල්ල[Diya Kirilla](Hydrolea zeylanica)

An indigenous herbaceous perennial wides pread in wet places around ponds and tanks, along irrigation canals and in wet depressions of the low country, especially in the dry zone. Flowering in  March and September. 

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

පිනි බර තණ [Pini Bara Tana] (Themeda tremula)

An indigenous perennial common along roadsides, open places and in low patanas from 160 m to 1300 m a.s.l. 

Monday, December 24, 2018

Centotheca lappacea

An indigenous erect tufted perennial occurs mostly in the wet shady places from low to middle elevations in the wet zone.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Persicaria nepalensis

Native small herb occurs in moist montane areas. Common and often occurs as a weed of plantations. Flowering all the year round. 

Saturday, December 22, 2018

බුලු වල් අඟුණ/බූ කිරි වැල්[Bulu Wal Anguna/Bu Kiri Wel (Chonemorpha fragrans)

Rather rare native huge woody twiner occurs in secondary forests in the wet zone up to about 800 elevations. Locally common. Flowering from March to May.

Friday, December 21, 2018

Pearl Flower (Heterocentron subtriplinervium)

An introduced small shrub native to Mexico. Cultivated as a ornamental plant but a potential invader. 

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Polygala longifolia [Syn: Polygala leptalea]

Very rare or extinct native herb as per Flora of Ceylon, distributed (According to Thwaites) among long grass in dry low country around Nilgala in the northern part of the Uva province. However it occurs in eastern intermediate to dry zone areas and now considered as an Endangered plant (Red List 2012 & Vlas J&J, 2012). 

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

An indigenous creeping and ascending small herb, occurs among short grass in open places, gardens and cultivated grounds in upper hill country. Locally common. Flowering from December to February.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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 . 

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Osyris lanceolata [Syn: Osyris wightiana]

An indigenous shrub or small tree locally abundant in lower dry mountain areas  up to about 1500 m a.s.l.
Flower size - 3 mm across

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Vogel's tephrosia (Tephrosia vogelii)

An introduced large woody herb native to the Africa. Planted for shade in tea plantations and as an ornamental. 

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Monday, September 10, 2018

බොර[Bora](Ligustrum robustum)

An indigenous shrub or small tree in secondary montane forests of wet and intermediate low montane regions from 450 to 2000 m a.s.l. Often found near streams. 

Sunday, September 9, 2018

අලු පිල[Alu pila] (Tephrosia tinctoria)

An indigenous shrubby perennial found along roadsides among bushes in the wet zone, intermediate zone and the hill country up to 1400 m a.s.l.

Friday, September 7, 2018

වල් එඬරු [Wal Endaru] (Bupleurum ramosissimum [Syn: Bupleurum mucronatum])

Rather common indigenous herb found in rocky open places and patanas between 650-2300 m elevations from Belihuloya to Nuwaraeliya and Horton Plains, .Flowering from December to August (Probably throughout the year)

Flower size - About 2 mm across

Monday, September 3, 2018

Indigofera spicata

 Common introduced herb occurs mainly in the hill country road sides and weedy places. Sometime introduced in pastures.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Panicum brevifolium

Common native creeping annual grows in shade along forest edges, embankments, river banks, and in secondary vegetation from sea level to 1300 a.s.l. 

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Monday, August 6, 2018

Ichnanthus pallens

An indigenous perennial occurs in the wet montane zone in elevations of about 1000 m. Typical forest grass grows in damp shady places or clearings and similar open habitats.

Sunday, August 5, 2018

ගුරු කීන[Guru Kina] (Calophyllum calaba)

An indigenous tree common in the coastal parts of the dry zone, talawas of the dry and intermediate zone and rarely in the wet zone forests. Sometimes planted for its edible fruits. Flowering from January to June and fruiting from January to September. 

Saturday, August 4, 2018

ඊ තණ[Itana] (Heteropogon contortus)

Common indigenous grass species occurs in open grasslands and weedy places from sea level to about 1200 m elevations. 

Friday, August 3, 2018

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Pseudechinolaena polystachya

Rather rare native grass species which was considered as a Data Deficient one in the 2010 Red List. It grows usually in shade of forest trees from 300 to 600 m elevations. So far reported from Kandy, Peradeniya, Gannoruwa and Ambagamuwa of  Kandy district and Elkaduwa of  the Mathale district. This record is from the Reveston area of the Mathale district. 

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Syzygium spathulatum

An endemic small tree common in primary and secondary forests and degraded grasslands from 700-1500 m elevations in the hills bordering the drier eastern margins of the wet and intermediate zones. Fruit edible.