Flora of Sri Lanka - Forest tree species and images

The island of Sri Lanka with only a land area of around 65500 sq. kM, is well endowed with the mother Nature's blessings, one can say. The whole island is one mass of land where the plant life is very rich and vibrant with all shades of Green colour leaves. There are around 3500 Flora species in Sri Lanka and about one quarter of that is endemic to Sri Lanka.

The vegetation types of the island mainly varies with the climate and the topography. The rainfall and the temperature are the most important factors of the climatic conditions.

There are four major zones of vegetation types in Sri Lanka.

The Arid Zone has a temperature between 32-36 degrees Celsius. The Rainfall is below 100 mm per year and the Altitude is less than 300 meters. The forest type is referred as Tropical Thorn Scrub.

The Dry Zone has a temperature between 28-32 degrees Celsius. The Rainfall is between 1000-1500 mm per year and the Altitude is less than 500 meters. The forest type is referred as Tropical Dry Mixed Evergreen.

The Intermediate Zone has a temperature between 24-28 degrees Celsius. The Rainfall is between 1250-2000 mm per year and the Altitude is between 500-1500 meters. The forest type is referred as Tropical Moist Evergreen.

The Wet Zone has a temperature between 16-28 degrees Celsius. The Rainfall is above 2000 mm per year and the Altitude range is divided in to three categories.

The vegetation type in the altitude range of between 300-1000 meters is called as Tropical Lowland Wet Evergreen forests.

The vegetation type in the altitude range of between 900-1500 meters is called as Tropical Sub Montane forests.

The vegetation type in the altitude range of above 1500 meters is called as Tropical Upper Montane forests.

vegetation types across the island Sri Lanka are imaged below.


Anuradhapura Area Tropical Dry Mixed Evergreen	Ritigala Area Wewa Tropical Dry Mixed Evergreen


Mahaweli River Banks, Peradeniya , Kandy Tropical Moist Evergreen	Udawattakele Sanctuary, Kandy Tropical Moist Evergreen


Riverston, Knuckles Range Tropical Sub Montane	Riverston, Knuckles Range Tropical Sub Montane


Phoenix Rock Area, Knuckles Range Tropical Sub Montane	Knuckles Peaks , Knuckles Mountain Range Tropical Upper Montane

The vegetation type of Sinharaja Tropical Rain Forest in the altitude range of between 300-1150 with a Rainfall between 3500-5000 mm is a Tropical Lowland Wet Evergreen forest type.


Moulawella View Point, Sinharaja Rain Forest Tropical Lowland Wet Evergreen	Moulawella View Point, Sinharaja Rain Forest Tropical Lowland Wet Evergreen

The vegetation type of the Jaffna Lagoon in the altitude range of 0 in the Dry Zone is mainly Mangroves along the shores and scrublands in the sandy areas. The Rainfall is between 500-700 mm annually mostly with Northeast monsoon from October to February.


Jaffna Lagoon area near Elephant Pass Dry Zone Lagoon Eco System	Jaffna Lagoon area near Elephant Pass Dry Zone Lagoon Eco System

Some important flora species [of Trees ] found at Peradeniya Botanical Garden is displayed with Species and Family description with the local Sinhala name with many photographs.

The World heritage Sinharaja Rain Forest 's Flora species such as Navanda or Nava Dun (Shorea stipularis), Hora (Dipterocarpus zeylancus), Bu Hora (Dipterocarpus hispidus) which are Emergent Tree types and Maha Kuratiya (Syzygium rubicundum) ,Tiniya Dun (Shorea trapezifolia), Kiri Hembiliya (Palaquium grande), Honda Beraliya ( Shorea megistophylla), Pini Beraliya (Shorea disticha), Diya Na (Mesua thwaitesii), Na (Mesua ferrea) , Dun ( Shorea zeylanica) and Pelan (Bhesa ceylanica) of the Canopy layer trees are pictured here. Koti kan Beraliya (Shorea cordifolia), Rath Beraliya ( Hopea jucunda), Galmora (Pometia eximia),Keena (Calophyllum tomentosum), Ela Kirihembiliya (Palaquium canaliculatum), Walu Kina (Calophyllum bracteatum) and Dotalu (Loxococcus rupicola) of Sub Canopy layer trees at Sinharaja reserve also are figured here with many other important species of tropical trees. Endemic Trees of Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

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Sri Lanka Floral Species, Family Description and Images

Click on the Thumbnail Photo to see the full size image



Species	Artocarpus heterophyllus	Grows to about	25m
Family	Moraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kos
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Species	Artocarpus champeden	Grows to about	10-15 m
Family	Moraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kuru Kos
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Species	Myristica fragrans	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Myristicaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Sadikka
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Species	Cinnamomum verum	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Lauraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kurundu
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Species	Clausena indica	Grows to about	5m
Family	Rutaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Mee Gon Karapincha
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Species	Petrocarpus marsupium	Grows to about	20m
Family	Fabaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Gammalu
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Species	Mangiferaindica	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Anacardiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Amba
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Species	Canarium commune	Grows to about	30-40 m
Family	Burseraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Rata Kekuna
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Species	Terminalia bellirica	Grows to about	25 m
Family	Combretaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Bulu
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Species	Sterculia balanghas	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Sterculiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Nawa
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Species	Sterculia foetida	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Sterculiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Telambu
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Species	Sageraea thwaitesii	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Annonaceae
Local Sinhala Name
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Species	Hydnocarpus venenata	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Flacourtiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Makulu
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Species	Strychnos nux-vomica	Grows to about	15m
Family	Loganiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Goda Kaduru
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer

Species	Pometia eximia	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Sapindaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Galmora
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Species	Swietenia macrophylla	Grows to about	30-40 m
Family	Meliaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Mahogani
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Species	Tectona grandis	Grows to about	25 m
Family	Verbenaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Tekka
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Species	Gmelina asiatica	Grows to about	5 m
Family	Verbenaceae
Local Sinhala Name
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Species	Aphanamixis polystachya	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Meliaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Higul
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Species	Quassia indica	Grows to about	4 m
Family	Simaroubaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Samadara
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Species	Beilschmiedia zeylanica	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Lauraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kanu
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Species	Horsfieldia iryaghedhi	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Myristicaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Ruk
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Species	Heritiera littoralis	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Sterculiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Etuna
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Species	Streblus asper	Grows to about	7 m
Family	Moraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Geta Nithul
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer


Species	Calophyllum tomentosum	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Keena
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Species	Dipterocarpus hispidus	Sinharaja Rain Forest	Emergent Tree
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Bu Hora	Grows to about	45 m
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree


Species	Shorea zeylanica	Grows to about	40 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Dun
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Mesua thwaitesii	Grows to about	30m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Diya Na
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Mesua ferrea	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Na
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Species	Garcinia quaesita	Grows to about	15 m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kana goraka
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Species	Berrya cordifolia	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Tiliaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Halmilla
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Species	Trichadenia zeylanica	Grows to about	38 m
Family	Achariaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Tiththa
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Bhesa ceylanica	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Celastraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Pelan
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Species	Durio zibethinus	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Bombacaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Durian
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Palaquium canaliculatum	Grows to about	25 m
Family	Sapotaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Ela Kirihembiliya
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Species	Mesua stylosa	Grows to about	6 m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Suwenda
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Shorea megistophylla	Grows to about	40 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Honda Beraliya
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Shorea disticha	Grows to about	40 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Pini Beraliya
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Hopea jucunda	Grows to about	15 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Rath Beraliya
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Shorea cordifolia	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kotikan Beraliya
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Species	Artocarpus gomezianus	Grows to about	35-45 m
Family	Moraceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kanagonna
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Species	Diplidiscus verrucosus	Grows to about	10 m
Family	Tiliaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Dikwenna
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Species	Lannea coromandelica	Grows to about	25 m
Family	Anacardiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Hik
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Species	Terminalia arjuna	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Combretaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kumbuk
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Palaquium grande	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Sapotaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kiri Hembiliya ,Kiripedda
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Shorea trapezifolia	Grows to about	40 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Tiniya Dun ,Yakahalu Dun
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Emergent Tree

Species	Dipterocarpus zeylancus	Grows to about	45 m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Hora
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Emergent Tree

Species	Shorea stipularis	Grows to about	45m
Family	Dipterocarpaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Navanda, Nava Dun
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Calophyllum bracteatum	Grows to about	20 m
Family	Clusiaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Walu Kina
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Sub Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Loxococcus rupicola	Grows to about	25 m
Family	Combretaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Dotalu
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		Sinharaja Rain Forest	Canopy Layer Tree

Species	Syzygium rubicundum	Grows to about	30 m
Family	Myristicaceae
Local Sinhala Name	Kurumbettiya,Kurati Damba,	Maha Kuratiya