OBSERVATION OF FLOWERS OF GASTRODIA ZEYLANICA: AN ENDEMIC, CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SAPROPHYTIC ORCHID SPECIES IN KANNELIYA RAINFOREST, SRI LANKA

摘要

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean lying on the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula between 5°55' - 9°51' North latitudes and 79°41' - 81°54' East longitudes. The island has three peneplains (Figure 1).The first is from sea level to 900 m. This comprises the dry zone and the wet zone. The dry zone, which is the largest part of the island, in the north, north-east to the southeast is a large flat lowland that receives low rainfall (<2000 mm per year) from the northeast monsoon. The vegetation principally comprises dry mixed evergreen forests and some parts belong to the arid floristic zone. Lower numbers of orchid diversity are observed in this area (Fernando and Ormerod, 2008).