Nature Hub

           From - Wikipedia, By Vinuri Randhula Silva, African origin Napoleona ( Napoleons Hat, Napoleana, Napoleona, Butterscotch Flower) is an interesting group of trees and shrubs found in the understorey of tropical rainforests. Esteemed for the exquisite, vividly colored, saucer shaped flowers that grow from leaf axils, or directly from trunk and stem. They are mostly grown as greenhouse specimens by collectors, but can be used as landscaping ornamentals where conditions are suited. Growing conditions are stated to be similar to the related Barringtonia spp. The fruits sugary pulp is used as desserts, the roots for medicinal purposes and the twigs as traditional chewsticks. The reniform, reddish seeds of this species constitute a false kola, which has a taste closely resembling that of true kola. The flowers are fragrant and smell like Butterscotch!

By – Vinuri Randhula Silva, Victoria water lily (Victoria amazonica)  is a species of flowering plant, the second largest of the water lily family  Nymphaeaceae . It is the  nationalflower  of  Guyana . Its native regions are  Guyana  and tropical  South America . The  Victoria amazonica  has very large leaves, up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter, that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m (23–26 ft) in length, rivaling that of the  green anaconda , a snake local to its habitat. It is the second-largest waterlily in the world.  V. amazonica  is native to the shallow waters of the  Amazon River basin , such as  oxbow lakes  and  bayous . In their native habitat, the flowers first begin to open as the sun starts to set and can take up to 48 hours to fully open. These flowers can grow up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter. Each plant continues to produce flowers for a full growing season, and they have co-evolved a  mutualistic  relationship with a species of scarab beetle of t

    By Vinuri Randhula Silva, The  Guianan cock-of-the-rock  ( Rupicola rupicola ) is a species of  cotinga , a  passerine  bird from South America. It is about 30 cm (12 in) in length and weighs about 200 to 220 g (7.1 to 7.8 oz). It is found in  tropical rain forests , near its preferred habitat of rocky outcrops. The female's  plumage  is brownish / dark smokey grey in colour, and generally less noticeable than the males because of their nesting work in rocky areas. The male's feathers are a bright orange. Both have a heavy body, broad-based bill and wear a remarkable half-moon crest on the head. It is one of two species of the genus  Rupicola , the other being the  Andean cock-of-the-rock . The Guianan cock-of-the-rock lives across the forested region of northeastern South America. Its diet consists mostly of fruit, but they sometimes feast on small snakes and lizards. The Guianan cock-of-the-rock breeds in the early months of the year and, on average, the female lays her

By Vinuri Randhula Silva, The  yellow-eared bulbul (E) Lanka peetha kan kondaya (S)  ( Pycnonotus penicillatus ) is a species of  songbird  in the  bulbul   family  of  passerine   birds . It is an  endemic  resident breeder in the highlands of Sri Lanka. The common name is also used as an alternate name for the  yellow-throated bulbul . The yellow eared-bulbul is endemic to  Sri Lanka  and is the least common of the bulbuls found in Sri Lanka. This is a bird of jungle and wooded farmland. Despite its restricted range, it is quite readily found at sites such as  Horton Plains (Maha Eliya) , Piduruthalagala peak, Moon Plains (Sanda Thenna) and Victoria Park in  Nuwara Eliya  and has been frequently sighted in rocky hills. The yellow-eared bulbul is about 20 cm (7.9 in) in length, with a long tail. It has olive upper parts and yellowish underparts. The crown of the head is grey, and there are yellow ear tufts and a yellow patch below the eye. There is a white tuft in front of the ey

  By Vinuri Randhula Silva, The  willow ptarmigan ( Lagopus lagopus ) is a bird in the  grouse  subfamily  Tetraoninae  of the pheasant family  Phasianidae . The willow ptarmigan is a medium to large ground-dwelling bird and is the most numerous of the three species of  ptarmigan . Males and females are about the same size, the adult length varying between 35 and 44 centimetres (14 and 17 in) with a wingspan ranging from 60 and 65 centimetres (24 and 26 in). The weight is 430 to 810 grams (15 to 29 oz). It is deep-chested and has a fairly long neck, a broad bill, short feathered legs and a moderately short rounded tail. In the summer, the male's  plumage  is marbled brown, with a reddish hue to the neck and breast, a black tail and white wings and underparts. It has a red semicircular  comb  above each eye, which become red and prominent in the breeding season. The female is similar in appearance but with much smaller eye combs and has brown feathers scattered among the white fea