Travel Stories

Stobilantes නෙළු (Nelu)

Aug 2024 / Oct 2024

This is a unique flowering plant found in the wet zone and montane areas of the country. 26 species are endemic out of 31 species found in Sri Lanka. 21 of them are threatened species and 14 of them are protected under flora and fauna ordinance in Sri Lanka. Its forbidden to harm, destroy , collect , sell or cause any injuries. It has a unique behavior when it comes to flowering. Some flowers in the cycles of 4 ,7, and 12-year cycles. Horton Plains becomes a flower garden during its flowering season. It attracts many species, including “Sri Lanka Jungle fowl”, the National Bird of Sri Lanka and “Sri Lankan Wood pigeon”, another endemic bird of Sri Lanka. Early record keeping by Thomas Farr (1850-1919) at Horton Plains, who observed it blooming in every 12 years. The attached photos were taken at “Horton Plains National Park” & “Sinharaja Rain forest” which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka.  (Aug 2024/ Oct 2024)