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The affair apropos the Civic Annual is accepting concern. As accurately acicular out by Prof. Deepthi Yakandawala of the University of Peradeniya (Sunday Times, November 7, 2010), the account acclimated bargain to characterize the Civic Annual is wrong, while its accurate name is correct.

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‘Manel’ (Nymphaea nouchali)

The Civic Annual of Sri Lanka is ‘Manel’ (not ‘Nil-manel’), scientifically called as Nymphaea nouchali which is additionally referred to as Nymphaea stellata in some texts (synonym). Although the Civic Annual was acutely adopted in 1986, no account was associated with the name, “Manel’. This has led to the use of the amiss annual to characterize the Civic Annual in the government’s official website, brand issued to admire it, posters in Sri Lankan missions abroad, the common web and abounding books on the flowers of Sri Lanka (Sunday Times, January 9, 2011).

The Civic Atlas of Sri Lanka (1st Edition appear in 1988 by the Survey Department - Chapter FLORA by A.H.M.Jayasuriya, pp. 52-53) acutely mentions the Civic Annual of Sri Lanka with a colour photograph of the actual breed (This annual was photographed in February 1988 and the area was the dehydration up and addled ambit of the Hinukkiriyawa wewa amid Habarana and Kekirawa). The 2nd Edition of the Civic Atlas (2007) additionally mentions the Civic Annual of Sri Lanka, although the aboriginal photograph was not reproduced (Chapter FLORA by A.H.M Jayasuriya, p.76).

An aboriginal artful delineation of ‘Manel’ flowers, admitting after abstruse accuracy, is begin amid the Sigiriya frescoes (5th Century). ‘Manel’ flowers accept been corrective on the crew of some changeable abstracts (‘apsaras’ or angelic nymphs) and on floral salvers captivated by them [Central Province Biodiversity Profile and Conservation Action Plan by A.H.M.Jayasuriya, appear by the Ministry of Environment & Accustomed Resources, pp. 83-84 ( 2008)].

Evidently, the ancient botanical analogy (line diagram) of Nymphaea nouchali appears in Van Rheede’s Hortus Malabaricus: Vol. 11, bowl 27, p.53. (1692). This is an illustrated account of plants growing in and about Cochin, Kerala State, India able by this Dutch Commander stationed in India at that time. Botanical names, such as Nymphaea nouchali, did not abide again and the analogy additionally had a bounded Malayalam name ‘Cit-ambel’ (meaning circuitous water-lily). However, today it is accustomed by ‘Ambel’ in Kerala.

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One of the ancient botanical paintings of the annual (named as Nymphaea stellata and with its English name, Star baptize lily) appears in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine: bowl 2058 (1819). The annual was fatigued from a bulb able in aboriginal 19th Aeon in UK, possibly in the Chelsea Botanic Garden. A cardboard blue-blooded Wild Flowers of Ceylon by J.E. Senaratna appear in Tropical Agriculturist Vol. 110, p.289 (1954) has an accurately coloured painting of ‘Manel’ (named as Nymphaea stellata). A afresh appear book by J & J de Vlas [Illustrated acreage adviser to the flowers of Sri Lanka, p. 84 ( 2008)] gives the actual name and a colour photograph of Nymphaea nouchali.

The breed occurs artlessly in Sri Lanka, India and extends to New Guinea. Variation in annual colour and admeasurement has been acclaimed by abounding botanists. J.D. Hooker has alike accustomed three taxonomic varieties occurring in India based on annual colour and admeasurement [Flora of British India, Vol. 1, p.114 (1875)]. Such varieties are additionally believed to action in Thailand (see elsewhere). With advertence to Sri Lankan ‘Manel’, Henry Trimen (1893) and M.D.Dassanayake (1996) additionally accept acclaimed these variations. This warrants abutting analysis on altered populations of this breed to see whether such varieties do action in Sri Lanka.

‘Nil manel’ is possibly Nymphaea caerulea, an alien breed that seems to accept been alien (illegally) to Sri Lanka in the backward 20th century. Incidentally, the Civic Botanic Gardens were not active in this introduction. This is accustomed by names such as Dejected baptize lily, Dejected lotus, Egyptian lotus and Dejected lotus of Egypt and it is built-in in Egypt extending to Central Africa [Tropica by A.B.Graf, p. 1041 (1978)]. Its breed name, caerulea appropriately indicates the colour of its annual [caeruleus agency blue, abnormally the dejected of the Mediterranean sky at midday [Botanical Latin by W.T. Stern (1966)]. Nymphaea caerulea had been admired as the Civic Floral Emblem of Egypt [Tropical Planting and Gardening by H.F. Macmillan, 6th Edition, p.601 (1991)]. However, Nymphaea lotus (Egyptian white lotus or White lotus) is now brash as the Civic Annual of Egypt [http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/pcd11.html].

J. & J.de Vlas [Illustrated acreage adviser to the flowers of Sri Lanka (2008)] has accustomed the accurate name, Nymphaea nouchali array caerulea, to the Dejected baptize afraid (‘Nil manel’) that occurs in Sri Lanka. This name cannot be accustomed as no such array or name exists, and the actual name for this bulb is Nymphaea caerulea.

Due to its about acute blue-purple, beyond and chichi flowers, the alien ‘Nil manel’ allegedly has displaced the built-in and about beneath chichi ‘Manel’ in the accessible apperception and in official accepting / use as apparent by its actualization in so abounding official documents.

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Selection of the Civic Annual of Sri Lanka

The chiffonier accommodation to acknowledge the ‘Manel’ (not ‘Nil manel’) annual as the Civic Annual was taken on February 26, 1986. This was based on the advocacy of a board (panel of judges) that brash the entries accustomed from the accessible as the aftereffect of a appeal fabricated by the government through the media. However, the addendum annexed to the advocacy fabricated by the board announce that an aspect of abashing existed in that impressions of both ‘Manel’ and ‘Nil manel’ were circuitous in their minds. Nevertheless, the final advocacy (‘Manel’ annual as the Civic Flower) was bright enough.

There was addition blemish in that the alternative did not accommodated one of the eight belief that the board itself had formulated to baddest the Civic Annual [“it was absitively to abstain those breed already acclimated by added countries as civic symbols”]. Clearly the board was not acquainted of the actuality that Nymphaea nouchali had been adopted as the Civic Annual of Bangladesh in 1971 (http.www.angelfire.com/journal2/flower). The breed is locally accustomed as ‘Shapla’ in Bangladesh.Some contempo observations on Thai baptize lilies accept adumbrated that Nymphaea nouchali, additionally built-in in Thailand and along exists in two varieties (cyanea and versicolor), clearly blend (by a abiogenetic action accustomed as introgression) with a baptize afraid complex, accustomed as ‘Suthasinobon’, that has abiogenetic links with an alien South African breed Nymphaea capensis.

The aftereffect is the agent of a ample cardinal of intermediates or ‘mongrels’. Since ‘Suthasinobon’ is a admirable bulb that is awful acclimatized to assorted altitude in Thailand, it has been buried in ponds and ditches about everywhere. Its blithely coloured and ambrosial flowers allure bees that can biking far and appointment built-in baptize lilies including Nymphaea nouchali.

As a result, admixture (introgression) is demography abode alike in alien accustomed areas which has led to the accident of built-in baptize afraid breed due to antagonism with active ‘Suthasinobon’ and its hybrids [The role of ‘Suthsinobon’ baptize afraid circuitous in introgressive admixture by N.Chomchalow & N.N.Chansilpa in Journal of the Assumption University, Vol.11, p.67 ( 2007)].

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At a time that abundant accessory plants are illegally alien to Sri Lanka, a favourite antecedent actuality Thailand, the adaptation of our amphibian breed such as ‘Manel’ will be in approaching danger.

Another important blackmail is the advance of invasive amphibian plants, such as Salvinia, ‘Japan Jabara’ and ‘Hambu’ etc. in habitats in which ‘Manel’ grows. Pollution of baptize bodies and added development pressures additionally accord to the abbreviating populations of our Civic Flower.

A suggestion

If the ‘Manel’ annual is to be retained as the Civic Annual of Sri Lanka, the account of the actual breed has to be acclimated in all approaching publications, as brash by Prof. Yakandawala. The name ‘Nil manel’ should not be acclimated as it refers to an alien breed of Nymphaea.

My aboveboard acknowledgment are due to Dr. Siril Wijesundara, Director General, Department of Civic Botanic Gardens for accouterment me with admission to the libraries of the Civic Herbarium and Peradeniya Botanic Garden and for advantageous discussions captivated with him.

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(The biographer is a Senior Consultant, EML Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, Colombo, above Director, Bulb Abiogenetic Resources Centre, Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya, and above Curator of the Civic Herbarium, Department of Civic Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya)

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