Scrambling through the Sinharaja Rainforest is not just about plucking slimy leeches off my clothes. Once I perfect the art of annihilation or flicking them away, it is good to enjoy and appreciate the amazing foliage around me, especially the colourful and intricate lichen.
The Sinharaja Rainforest is an amazing bio hotspot and unique lowland forest. It is also the only such forest remaining in Sri Lanka.
“Scrambling through the Sinharaja Rainforest is not just about plucking slimy leeches off my clothes.”
Did you know that 75% of the mammal species endemic to Sri Lanka is to be found in this forest reserve. There are over 150 bird species recorded here, and that’s not all: 19 species of freshwater fish inhabit the streams and rivers in Sinharaja, and 60% of the trees in Sinharaja are endemic and many of them are considered to be rare.
I found some interesting reading about this Rainforest here.
The vegetation in this forest is described as tropical lowland or tropical wet evergreen and and together, they are a fusion of color and shapes.
Did you know that Lichens are actually a mutual relationship between algae or cyanobacteria with a fungus. Therefore it is a composite organism and not plants. Lichens can be found different shapes and forms. They are grouped by thallus type. Thallus growth forms typically correspond to a few basic internal structure types. Common names for lichens often come from a growth form or color that is typical of a lichen genus. Coloration is usually determined by the photosynthetic component.
Take a look at some of the intricate, colorful and interesting flora that I came across while on some of my trek at the Sinharaja. Blog stories can be read here and here and here.
