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2. Tree Ferns, Horton Plains

National Park.

Large tree erns (Cyathea

crinita) at the edge o cloud

orest in Horton Plains

National Park. Sri Lanka’s

cloud orests harbour

impressive numbers o endemic

plants, and amphibian and bird

species. Tese tree erns are

endemic to Sri Lanka’s central

highlands and the southern

Western Ghats o India.

3. Bo Tree Leaves, Pelawatte.

Leaves o a Bo tree ( Ficus

religiosa) at a small temple

in the Colombo suburb o 

Pelawatte. Tis species,

amously associated with the

enlightenment o Siddhartha

Gautama (Buddha), has the

greatest religious signicance

amongst all o Sri Lanka’s

plants.

4. Banyan, Colombo

University.

A large banyan ( Ficus

benghalensis) in ront o the

Department o Zoology at

Colombo University.

5. Ethagala Rock & Trees,

Kurunegala.

Moist deciduous orest grows

rom cracks on the exoliated

granite ace o Ethagala

(Elephant Rock) in Kurunegala.

Te large rock hill, rom which

the name ‘Kurunegala’ is

derived, has a commanding

 view o this ormer capital o 

Sri Lanka. Its orests and trees

provide a habitat or animals

and birds in a ast-growing

urban settlement.

Nature - Trees of Sri Lanka Nature - Trees of Sri Lanka

For a small island, Sri Lanka is blessedwith a diversity o habitats and vegetationzones. Te wet, dry, and intermediate zonesall have unique and distinctive plant lie.Sri Lanka’s trees are usually conned toone o these zones, although some speciesare spread more widely across the island.In the wet zone, where the centralhighlands are located, a wide varietyo trees and vegetation is based on the vertical contours of the landscape. Colombo  and its environs were once dominated

by lowland rainorest vegetation, whilethe hilly area that surrounds Hatton andNuwara Eliya is known or its montaneand cloud orests. In many cultures, treeshave religious and spiritual signicance,with the Ficus species holy to Buddhistsand Hindus. Represented in this photoessay is a small sample o the great varietyand beauty o Sri Lanka’s trees. Te imagesorm an ongoing portolio o black andwhite images that Ian is putting togetheron Sri Lanka’s natural history heritage.

1. Elephants at

Viharamahadevi Park,

Colombo.

Mahouts and their elephants

rest in the shade o an

unidentied tree at

Viharamahadevi Park, in a

leay part o Colombo. Te

elephants are preparing to

participate in the annual

perahera (procession) o the

Gangaramaya temple beside

Beira Lake.

Trees of Sri LankaWords & photography by Ian Lockwood.

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1 & 2. Peradeniya Java Fig,Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.Tis enormous Java g ( Ficusbenjamina) is a ocal point at therenowned Royal Botanic Gardens,Peradeniya, near Kandy. It is aspecies that is oten used as a pottedornamental plant in tropical andtemperate climates. Te specimenat Peradeniya has been allowed tospread over an area o 2,500 squaremetres.

3. Rain trees on Reid Avenue,Colombo.rac on Reid Avenue, in asalubrious suburb o Colombo, fowsbusily under the arches o giant raintrees ( Albizia saman). Unlike manyAsian cities, Colombo retains manyo the large shade trees that wereplanted in colonial times to reduceheat and improve the quality o air.

Nature - Trees of Sri LankaNature - Trees of Sri Lanka

A Floral Oasis.Te Royal Botanic Gardens,Peradeniya is only a short tuk-tuk riderom the centre o Kandy. Open daily,it is second only to London’s KewGardens in terms o fora and aunadiversity. Pack a picnic and makea day o exploring the 4,000 speciesto be ound in its 59 hectares.Highlights include the palm avenueand spice gardens, 300 t ypes o orchid,a rare double coconut, and colonyo resident ruit bats.

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1. Calophyllum walkeri in Mist, Horton PlainsNational Park.A clump o large Calophyllumwalkeri trees stands out amidstcloud orest ‘dieback’ in HortonPlains National Park. Ecologistsare unsure o why thisundisturbed habitat hasexperienced signicant diebackin the last ew decades, withclimate change and acidprecipitation having beensuggested as possible causes.

2. Shade tree in tea estate,Knuckles Range.Rain tree ( Albizia saman) grownor shade in a tea estate on theedge o the remote KnucklesConservation Area.

Nature - Trees of Sri Lanka

 Ian Lockwood teaches geography and environmental 

 systems at the Overseas School of Colombo.

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