Butterflies of sri Lanka

Plumeria Flower(araliya flower)

- July 27, 2017

Most people in sri lanka can identify an Araliya tree no matter how little they know about trees. With its gnarled branches, long leaves and distinctive flowers, it is easily one of the most common and identifiable trees in Sri Lanka.The bark is grey and scaly. The branches have a swollen appearance and thicken towards the ends. A cut made on any part of the tree will exude a milky, sticky sap. The leaves are smooth and shiny, upto one foot long with well defined veins. They appear at the ends of the branches. The flowers which appear in clusters, again at the end of the branches, are scented. The petals are waxy and the centre of the flower is usually a different colour to the rest of it. For example the white flowers generally have a yellow centre. There are many varieties ranging from deep crimson to orange to white. The flowering season is from March to May but throughout the year the tree usually produces flowers. The Temple tree is so called because the scented ...