Robiquetia brevifolia (Lindl.)

Name: Robiquetia brevifolia
Four species of Robiquetia genus are found naturally in Sri Lanka. Among them, Robiquetia brevifolia (Lindl.) is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is seen in mountain forests.

Cryptostylis arachnites

Cryptostylis arachnites is an indigenous wild orchid found in wet zone of Sri Lanka.

Angraecum zeylanicum

Angraecum zeylanicum is a wild orchid found on tree trunks of lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka.

Conchidium braccatum/Eria braccata

Binomial Name: Conchidium braccatum/Eria braccata

Conchidium braccatum is a wild orchid found in highlands of Sri Lanka and in India. Above photographs were taken at "Sri Pada" Peak Wilderness sanctuary in August.

Podochilus malabaricus

Binomial: Podochilus malabaricus
Sinhala: මහා පද්ම[Maha patma]

Podochilus malabaricum is a wild orchid found in lowland wet and submontane zone. It is one of the four species of orchids found in Sri Lanka which belong to the genus Podochilus. It is morphologically more similar to the recently described species Podochilus warnagalensis (Wijewardana et al. 2016). The color of the flower is a mixture of white and pink and the plant has partially opened flowers even when fully bloomed. Above photographed one was found in "Sri Pada” Peak Wilderness sanctuary in April, 2015

References:

• An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod
• Podochilus warnagalensis (Orchidaceae), a new species from Sri Lanka ISHARA H. WIJEWARDANA, THARAKA S. PRIYADARSHANA, NANDUN S. ARANGALA, ANUSHA G. ATTHANAGODA, RAKITHA T.B. SAMARAKOON, PANKAJ KUMAR

Cleisostoma tenuifolium

Binomial Name: Cleisostoma tenuifolium

C. tenuifolium is a wild orchid found in lowland wet zone forests of Sri Lanka. In addition to that, the same species has been recorded in India and Thailand. Above photographs were taken at Meethirigala forest reserve in August.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod

Luisia zeylanica

Binomial Name: Luisia zeylanica

Luisia zeylanica is an wild orchid found in lowland wetzone and submontane zone of Sri Lanka. This epyphite can be seen in shady places. In addition to Sri Lanka, this same plant has been recorded from India and Nepal. Above flowers were observed in March , 2015.

Reference:

• An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod 

• Vij, S. P.; Verma, Jagdeep, 2005: Luisia zeylanica Lindl. (Orchidaceae): A new record for Himachal Pradesh. Rheedea 15(2): 138-139

Bulbophyllum thwaitesii

Binomial Name: Bulbophyllum thwaitesii

Bulbophyllum thwaitesii is a wild orchid found mainly in wet zone of Sri Lanka. It is a epiphyte grown on the stems of trees. Above flowers were observed in February and March.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod

Dendrobium nutantiflorum

Binomial: Dendrobium nutantiflorum

Dendrobium nutantiflorum is a wild orchid found in montane and submontane zone forests of Sri Lanka. Above photographs were taken in April (2015) that might be the flowering season of the plant.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod

Cymbidium bicolor

Binomial: Cymbidium bicolor
Sinhala: Visha duli

Cymbidium bicolor is a wild orchid found in low land wet zone forests of Sri Lanka and it can be seen in many other Asian countries. Mostly grows on the stems of trees. Above photographs were taken in March, 2015.

Bee Orchid (Cottonia peduncularis)

English: Bee Orchid
Binomial: Cottonia peduncularis

Cottonia peduncularis is a wild orchid found in Sri Lanka and India. It is given the name 'Bee orchid' since the lip of the flower resembles a bee. It is believed that the lip of the flower mimics a female bee sitting on the flower that leads to attract male bees, which helps in pollination. Above photographs were taken in March, 2015.

Habenaria crinifera

Binomial: Habenaria crinifera
Sinhala: නාරිලතා/ නාරිදේහ උඩවැඩියා[Narilatha/Narideha udawediya]

Found in India and Sri Lanka. Its Sinhala name 'නාරිලතා/[Narilatha]' is given due to the shape of the flower resemblance to the shape of the body of a women. Above flowers were found in the wet zone of Sri Lanka in the month of September.

Champion's Diploprora (Diploprora championi)

Binomial: Diploprora championi
English: Champion's Diploprora

Diploprora championi is a species of wild orchid found in Asian countries. In Sri Lanka this plant can be seen on tree trunks of lowland wet zone.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod
http://www.orchidspecies.com/diplopchampionii.htm

Peristylus brevilobus Thwaites

Binomial Name: Peristylus brevilobus Thwaites
Peristylus brevilobus is a rare and endemic wild orchid found in submontane zone of Sri Lanka. Above photographs were taken in April at "Sri Pada" Peak Wilderness sanctuary.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod

Eria lindleyi

Binomial Name: Eria lindleyi

E. lindleyi is a wild orchid found in submontane and lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka. Above photographs were taken in April at Rathnapura trail of "Sri Pada" Peak Wilderness sanctuary.

Reference: An Annotated Checklist of the Orchids of Sri Lanka, Samantha Suranjan Fernando and Paul Ormerod

Eria articulata

Binomial Name: Eria articulata/Eria articulatum

E. articulata is a wild orchid found in wet zone of Sri Lanka. It is rare and endemic. IUCN red list status is 'Endangered'

Liparis elliptica

Binomial Name: Liparis elliptica

Liparis elliptica is a globally distributed species of wild orchid. Above photographs were taken in December in the highlands of Sri Lanka.

Dendrobium panduratum

Binomial Name: Dendrobium panduratum/Callista pandurata 

Dendrobium panduratum is a wild orchid found in India and Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, it grows in lowland wet and submontane zones.

Malaxis thwaitesii

Grows on wet surfaces of stones

Seed capsules

Binomial Name: Malaxis thwaitesii

Malaxis thwaitesii is an endemic rare to find wild orchid grows in lowland wet zone forests of Sri Lanka. Most of the time it can be seen on wet surfaces of stones close to water streams.

Spiranthes sinensis

Binomial Name: Spiranthes sinensis
English: Chinese Spiranthes

Spiranthes sinensis is a wildly distributed species of wild orchid found in many parts of the world including Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka it has been distributed in montane and sub-montane zone. Above photographs were taken in December.