🇱🇰 The flowers of Sri Lanka
37 pages from Sri Lanka: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 7 cities and regions.
Sri Lanka is home to over 3,200 species of flowering plants, with nearly a quarter found nowhere else. Its wet southwestern forests hold most of these endemics, including unique trees and orchids. The island’s flora stands out for its high diversity and concentration of rare species in a small area.
The plant life of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s plant life is shaped by its tropical climate and varied rainfall. The southwestern 'wet zone' receives heavy rain and supports dense forests rich in species, while the larger 'dry zone' in the north and east has less rainfall and fewer plant types. The island has remarkable plant diversity for its size, with over 3,200 flowering species in more than 1,000 genera. Endemism is high: about 23% of flowering plants are unique to Sri Lanka. Most of these rare species are found in the wet zone’s forests.
From region to region in Sri Lanka
Plant diversity is highest in the wet zone, which covers only a quarter of the island but contains nearly 90% of its flowering plants and almost all endemics. The dry zone, which makes up most of the land, has fewer species and less endemism. Mountainous areas and rainforests, such as Sinharaja and the Knuckles Range, are especially rich in unique plants, including rare orchids and ferns.
Flowers to know in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s flora includes many plants found nowhere else, such as almost all of its 55 dipterocarp tree species. The palm genus Loxococcus, with its single species Loxococcus rupicola, is unique to the island. New species continue to be discovered, like the orchid Gastrodia gunatillekeorum and the gesneriad Henckelia wijesundarae. The wet forests also shelter rare liverworts and a high number of endemic lichens.
Threats and protection in Sri Lanka
Most endemic flowering plants are restricted to the wet zone, making them vulnerable to habitat loss. Conservation is crucial, as the wet zone’s forests are home to nearly all the island’s rare species. New discoveries highlight the need for ongoing protection, especially in areas like Sinharaja and the Knuckles Range, where many unique plants and lichens have been found.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Wildlife of Sri Lanka", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
Cities and regions of Sri Lanka
LantanaLantana camara
A colourful shrub with clusters of small, changing flowers
🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub
Arabian jasmineJasminum sambac
A small white jasmine with a strong, sweet scent, treasured in Asia for garlands and ceremonies
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub
Orange jasmineMurraya paniculata
A fragrant shrub or small tree with white flowers and orange-red berries
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower
Yellow oleanderCascabela thevetia
A tropical shrub with funnel-shaped yellow flowers and toxic seeds
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering shrub
Common GorseUlex europaeus
A tough, spiny yellow-flowered shrub of Western Europe
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 6 more · Flowering shrub
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Orange jasmine: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Arabian jasmine: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lantana: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yellow oleander: Anshik Kumar Tiwari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Common Gorse: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source