Trees & Shrubs ‹‹ Go Back

The trees and plants that we observe in our environment can be broadly categorised in to three groups as follows

• Ferns, which do not produce flowers, fruits or seeds and reproduce by producing spores.
• Gymnosperms or non flowering plants with unenclosed seeds (unfertilized seeds in cones)
• Angiosperms or flowering plants and trees with enclosed seeds (fertilized seeds in fruits)

While thee are more than 3,100 species of Angiosperms recorded in the country there are only two species of Gymnosperms. Thus almost all plants and trees we are familiar with, except ferns, belong to a group called the flowering plants or Angiosperms. The two species of Gymnosperms are Maha Madu Cycas zeylanica, which is critically endangered and the other is the present species, Madu.

This species also occurs, in southern India where it is considered endangered and is thus listed on Appendix II of the CITES Appendices. In Sri Lanka this species is not uncommon and conservation status of this species is regarded as “Vulnerable”. (National List 2012).

The females of a small species of butterfly known as the Plains Cupid lays its eggs on the tender leaves of this species and the caterpillars feed on them as they grow to become butterflies.

The male Madu plant produces a long brownish cone like structure form the centre of its crown which hold the unfertilized seeds. The female plants produce the seedless fruits. Now the challenge for this primitive plant is to get the seeds in contact with the female fruit in the absence of any pollinator to complete the fertilization process. This is achieved by the fruits producing a sticky liquid which is contained in a small duct at the top of the fruit. The wind carries the sperm from the male seeds which gets attached to the sticky liquid and thereby permitting the sperms to enter the fruit and fertilize the same. This primitive process has limitations for this plant to spread compared to the more efficient dispersal methods of the angiosperms using animals. I have noted that these cones produce a distinct scent. The Plains Cupid butterflies will only visit the tender leaves to lay eggs and plays no part in the pollination process. I have seen this species at most dry zone National Parks and lower hills up to about 500 meters in altitude. They are common in Gal oya national park and the Nilgala savana forests.

Madu is common in the main villu areas of Wilpattu and when driving past them at Kudapatessa and Nelum Wila one is able to detect the characteristic aroma produced by the seed-bearing cones of these ancient trees. I have observed the male trees producing their cones in April.