Pitawala Patana
- Of carnivorous plants and endemic mediyas -
The Knuckles mountain range, called so because it resembles the knuckles
of a clenched fist, consists of 35 peaks which rise above 900m, perhaps the
highest aggregation of such peaks in a single mountain range. However, the
Knuckles landscape is not restricted to the mountains alone.
Approach it from its end in the Matale district along the Rattota-Illukkumbura
Road and you will come to Pitawala Patana, a large and splendid grassland.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
it is a rare type of grassland that evolved in response to a particular ecological
condition and can be found nowhere else in the country. It consists of
10ha in area. A semi evergreen forest on somewhat deeper soil surrounds the
grassland.
The Pitawala Plains ends in a sheer drop. It is certainly nerve
wracking to glimpse into the depths, hundreds of metres below, yet a
visit to the plains will not be complete without the visitor having taken
in the beauty of the valley below from that vantage. The landscape somewhat
resembles that of Horton Plains and as does its precipice [to world’s
end].
Pitawala Patana is home to two endemic species. One is a frog known
as Dumbara Galpara Mediya and the other is Patan Ala, a type of grass.
There are also many carnivorous plants that trap unwary insects.
The soil in the plains is not very rich in nutrients and thus certain
plants have adapted to find the required nutrients from insects. Kadulessa,
one such carnivorous plant species, has a sticky serum that traps unwary
insects.
Text and pix by Malaka Rodrigo
www.lakbimanews.lk
, June 14, 2009
Getting there
From Colombo go to
Kandy
and then go to Matale in A9 route.
From there, turn to Raththota road and come to Raththota town. Take
the right turn from the three-way junction in Raththota town. It will lead
you to Ilukkumbura - Puwakpitiya. the turn to Riverstan is at the 28th km
post, and 3km down in Ilukkumbura road you can find Pitawala Pathana, and
in about another kilometer's distance is the Pitawala Pathana Mini World's
End.
Created : June 21, 2009
Updated :
September 6, 2009
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