Simple guide to the blossoming kind
It’s that time of year when Colombo, nay the whole country, is in bloom. We glimpse the bursts of colour while on the road, perhaps in our very own gardens - the purple spikes of the Queen’s Flower, the dangling yellow clusters of the Ehela, or the brilliant orange of the African Tulip Tree.
Sri Lanka has an abundance of flowering plants, some 4,000 species we are told, notwithstanding the introduced ones yet how many could we even begin to name – a dozen or two? For those of us who frequently have had to rue our inability to identify some of these beauties that we encounter in our daily life, here is a book to rectify any such lack of knowledge.
The authors refer to their work as a celebration of the flowering plants of this country and stress that what they have compiled here is a selection, not a field guide. Well known biologists all three, with solid credentials, they have chosen to keep the book simple, restricting the scientific terminology to a bare minimum, instead using their considerable ability as science writers to present the material in an easily assimilable form. The result- a refreshingly interesting and useful book.
A brief section on Recognising Plants describes how one can easily identify a particular plant- what to look for such as the shape of the crown, the way a tree branches, its bark etc, in addition to the layman’s likely choice of leaves and flowers. Long forgotten botany lessons come to mind as we read of the difference between shrubs and herbaceous plants. The latter ‘are smaller than shrubs and their main feature is that their stems are not woody. They do not necessarily have multiple stems. Often the above ground parts die at the end of a growing season.’ The examples cited are Arum lilies and grasses – it all becomes crystal clear.
Each plant/ tree is identified with its scientific name, common English name, Sinhala and Tamil names and the plant family. A short description accompanied by a picture helps fix it in the reader’s mind. Brief the ac- counts may be but they provide fascinating chunks of information. Writing of the Milkwood tree which has clusters of cascading greenish white flowers, the authors record that it is mentioned in the Mahawamsa during the time of King Dutugemunu (107-77 BC). We learn that the Aegle marmelos
osa superba’ heavyweight in the arts world Prof. Albert Dharmasiri is uncluttered and effective.
The writers state that their aim is to foster conservation through an appreciation and understanding of this wealth of flora which is an integral part of this country, now under threat from deforestation, climate change, pollution and the dangerous spread of alien invasive species. It is to their credit that hardly anyone after reading this book is likely to put it down without a humbling awareness of this great bounty we have been blessed with and as they put it, the consciousness of how vital it is to our own survival.
‘Flowering Plants’ is one in a series of ten books that the National Trust of Sri Lanka which, Dr. Roland Silva, its President tells us in the foreword has set out to produce; books related to their objectives that would be of popular interest. Though hardcover coffee table volumes, the Trust has kept them reasonably priced and hence affordable - a factor that must be appreciated in these days of escalating costs.
Flowering Plants will be launched on March 29 at 6.30 p.m. at the HNB auditorium, 22nd Floor HNB Towers 479, T,B, Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10. It will be available at its prepublication price of Rs. 3000 until March 29 and thereafter at Rs. 3250 at the National Trust office, 407, Bauddhaloka Mw, Colombo 7.
The pretty little Nil Manel is in the eye of the storm once again.
A controversy is swirling around both the Nil Manel which is the declared National Flower and an imposter hybrid cousin due to both flowers being mentioned in the book ‘Flowering Plants commonly encountered in Sri Lankan habitats’ by Dr. Sriyanie Miththapala, Dr. Siril Wijesundara and Dr. Janaki Galappatti to be launched this week.
Earlier, the Nil Manel hit the headlines in November 2010 when Prof. Deepthi Yakandawala, Professor in Botany of the Peradeniya University revealed research establishing that although Nil Manel or Blue Water Lily ( Nymphaea nouchali Burm f.) is the National Flower, the picture depicting it erroneously is that of Nymphaea capensis, Nymphaea caerulea or even a hybrid with Nymphaea micrantha. (The Sunday Times exclusively reported this in its issue of November 7, 2010, headlined, ‘The great pretender’.)
In the recent controversy, both scientists and environmentalists are divided whether the coffee table book which not only mentions the fact that Nymphaea capensis or a hybrid has “for several years been mistakenly publicized as Sri Lanka’s National Flower” but also carries a photograph along with a description and picture of the Nil Manel should or should not have given credit to the researchers (Prof. Yakandawala and husband Dr. Kapila) who brought to light this national faux pas.“there should have been at least a passing reference to this research as the couple has slogged for many years and sloshed in the muddy waters of tanks to bring to the fore this mix-up,” said a scientist.
Another who is familiar with the research paper put out by them in June 2011 explained that the facts mentioned in the book seemed very similar to those found in the paper.
“These deal with the identity of the wrong flower, the fact that it may be hybrid, that the imposter had been brought for ornamental purposes and that the imposter was posing a threat to
DECISION ON THE IMPOSTER SOON
The Expert Committee appointed to look into the issue of the Nil Manel being depicted by an imposter is expected to give its decision on April 2, an Environmental Ministry source said.
They will advise whether the pictures of the imposter should be replaced by the right photograph or Sri Lanka should change its National Flower, the source added. the true Nil Manel,” he pointed out, adding that though the book did not use the exact words it seemed to have taken the content from the research. “As such, a reference to the research of Prof. Deepthi would have been justified and should have been given,” he stressed, a view echoed by several others as well.
However, another group was of the opinion that the Nil Manel’s picture being the wrong one had been known for a long time. While the latest researchers have done “diligent research”, it must not be forgotten that way back in 1988, the Atlas put out by Dr. Magdon Jayasuriya had the right picture, said a scientist- cum- environmentalist who declined to be identified.
Another pointed out that soon after this research came under the spotlight in November 2010, it had been brought to the notice of the public that Emeritus Professor B.A. Abeywickrama of the University of Colombo “very dutifully” pinpointed the mistake with regard to the picture as soon as it was displayed in the early days.
As was said in November 2010 about Emeritus Professor Abeywickrama’s attempts to right the wrong, this source explained, “it was a well-known mistake”.
“Then why has this mistake not been corrected,” asked Prof. Deepthi when contacted by the Sunday Times. Currently she and her husband who is attached to the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening of the Wayamba University are continuing the research on the Nil Manel with a grant from the National Science Foundation.
However, Prof. Deepthi declined to comment on the controversy with regard to the book, only adding that now that their research has also been mentioned in it, quick action is needed to rectify the mistake with regard to the picture.
Meanwhile, the three authors of the book in a statement issued to the Sunday Times say: “Our book – a book targeted at the layperson - illustrates and describes briefly, in simple language, some 170 flowering plants commonly found in Sri Lanka. Among these are descriptions and colour photographs of Sri Lanka’s national flower Nymphaea nouchali and another water lily, Nymphaea capensis. We noted that this latter flower ( Nymphaea capensis) had been for several years mistakenly publicized as the national flower.
“Our book did not cite any research papers in the body of the text. The substance in the book is based on information available to the general public, our experience and some information we gathered from standard botanical literature. The references given at the end are for people to obtain additional information if needed.
“The essence of the complaint is that this misidentification was a scientific discovery made by the Yakandawalas and that we did not acknowledge that. In fact, this misidentification, which was reflected in an official publication, had been pointed out by senior biologists several years ago before the Yakandawalas also did so.
“The information used in this book was already available to the general public and we have not claimed that the facts about this issue were discovered by us.”