Pinibaru / Dola Dan - Endemic Shrub of Sri Lanka
Scientific Name: Memecylon rivulare K.Bremer
Family: Melastomataceae
Origin: Endemic to Sri Lanka
Appearance and Characteristics
Family: Melastomataceae
Origin: Endemic to Sri Lanka
Appearance and Characteristics
- A small endemic shrub of Sri Lanka, associated particularly with wet-zone and streamside habitats.
- Typically grows in moist, shaded environments, including along streams and in rainforest habitats.
- The plant has simple, opposite leaves with a characteristic leathery appearance.
- Its flowers are small but attractive, with the blue to purplish coloration
- Produces small fleshy fruits that develop after flowering.
- The fruits can provide food for fruit-eating birds and other forest wildlife, helping to support local food webs.
- Its association with streams and other moist habitats makes it particularly relevant to the conservation of freshwater ecosystems.
- Native streamside vegetation helps stabilize soil and riverbanks, reducing erosion and sediment entering streams.
