At Genesis by Dilmah in Colombo, where the walls are lined with reminders of Sri Lanka’s natural wealth and the scent of Ceylon tea lingers in the air, an extraordinary gathering took place. But this was no typical book launch. It was a celebration of rediscovery, a call to conscience, and perhaps most importantly, a testament to the enduring richness of Sri Lanka’s forests.

The event marked the unveiling of “Discovering Additions to the Flora of Sri Lanka”, a 700-page botanical volume that documents more than 200 new or newly recorded flowering plant species in Sri Lanka. At its heart is a man whose name many in the scientific establishment had not heard a decade ago: Dr. Himesh Jayasinghe, a civil servant turned full-time field botanist, whose journey has become a modern-day parable of purpose and persistence.

Roots of a forgotten legacy

Taking the stage with characteristic modesty and erudition, Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, globally recognised biodiversity scientist and the 2022 Blue Planet Laureate, offered a sweeping historical account of Sri Lanka’s place in the global story of botany. He began with Paul Hermann, the Dutch physician who arrived in 1672, and who not only translated Sinhala plant names into Latin but also laid the groundwork for one of the earliest books on tropical botany, Musaeum Zeylanicum.

Hermann’s work was revolutionary. He collected over a thousand plant specimens, many of which remain preserved in Dutch herbaria today. His legacy inspired botanical luminaries like Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, who named numerous species based on Hermann’s collections.

“The historical richness of Sri Lanka’s flora,” Pethiyagoda said, “has long fascinated the world. But that legacy gave us what I call the anaesthetic of familiarity. We assumed we knew it all. And so, we stopped looking.”

But as this book shows, there’s plenty we still don’t know.

Life rewritten in green

One of the most compelling threads in this story is the transformation of Himesh Jayasinghe, the book’s lead author. Trained as an engineer and employed in the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Himesh’s life took a radical turn when he found himself increasingly drawn to the mysteries of the wild.

In 2019, Pethiyagoda first heard of Himesh through Dr. Surya Yudhistira and Professor Nimal Gunatilleke, the latter calling him “a once-in-a-century phenomenon.” At that point, Himesh had already left his job, devoting himself full-time to botany with neither institutional affiliation nor funding.

The statement stunned many in the room. Coming from Gunatilleke, Sri Lanka’s foremost tropical forest ecologist, the phrase was not used lightly.

“Himesh was essentially operating in a vacuum,” Pethiyagoda recalled. “He had no grant, no university post, no scientific training. What he had was a camera, a field notebook, and relentless determination.”

Moved by his commitment and potential, Pethiyagoda helped secure a research fellowship for Himesh at the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) in Kandy. Fieldwork support came from Dilmah Conservation, which recognised the unique value of his work early on.

Seeing with New Eyes

As the audience listened, it became clear that Himesh’s story is not just one of discovery, but of rediscovery. He had revisited historical herbarium records, trekking to the exact GPS coordinates of where certain species were last collected, sometimes more than a century ago. In one case, he relocated a species not seen since 1872.

Professor Siril Wijesundara, former Director-General of the Department of Botanical Gardens, gave a heartfelt tribute. “He didn’t study botany in the conventional sense,” he said. “But he sees what others don’t. And that’s a rare gift.”

Wijesundara compared Himesh to a monk who enters the order later in life, not for tradition, but for truth. “There’s a clarity, a humility, and a quiet persistence in his work,” he said. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s transformational.”

Himesh has now photographed and documented nearly 80% of Sri Lanka’s flowering plant species, many in multiple growth stages. His detailed field notes, illustrations, and observations offer an unprecedented look at phenology, morphology, and microhabitat.

A Book of Beginnings, Not Conclusions

While “Discovering Additions to the Flora of Sri Lanka” may sound like a capstone, those who know Himesh’s work understand it is just the beginning. It is envisioned as the first in a potential eight-volume fully illustrated flora of Sri Lanka, a national treasure in the making, if funding and public interest hold strong.

The volume includes 212 plant taxa, including 26 species new to science and 35 rediscoveries. More than 40% of the flora described in this book is endemic to Sri Lanka, reinforcing the island’s status as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

Clearing the Path for Science

Also in attendance was Ranjan Marasinghe, the newly appointed Director-General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. He acknowledged the critical role his department had played in facilitating field access and research permits.

But more importantly, he made a promise. “Let this be my legacy,” Marasinghe said. “To simplify, streamline, and support the process of biodiversity research in Sri Lanka. People like Himesh should not be hindered by bureaucracy. They should be empowered.”

He also highlighted Himesh’s broader engagement, noting that he had supported the Department in designing the Kesbewa Wetland Park, and had worked with indigenous communities to record medicinal plants, some of which are described in the book.

Nature is Not a Luxury

Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO of Dilmah Tea and head of Dilmah Conservation, reminded the audience that biodiversity is not just a “green issue.” It is an economic one.

“Over 50% of global GDP depends on nature,” he said. “Yet we treat biodiversity as though it’s optional. It is not.”

He described the book launch as a moment of moral clarity. “This is not about flowers. This is about food, medicine, water, soil, and identity.”

Dilhan spoke emotionally about his late father Merrill J. Fernando, who instilled in the company the twin values of quality and kindness—to people and to nature. “We’ve supported this work not just because it’s important to tea, but because it’s important to Sri Lanka,” he said.

Future already here

At a time when climate change, habitat loss, and ecological amnesia threaten to engulf the planet, this publication is a reminder that resistance can take many forms. Sometimes, it is a scientist kneeling in the mud, waiting for a flower to bloom.

And that resistance, in this case, has yielded results. Several species documented by Himesh are already under threat. One plant he rediscovered in a single wet zone patch had been presumed extinct for over 100 years.

This kind of data, now preserved in print, has direct implications for land use, reforestation, agroforestry, and protected area expansion.

A national moment

In closing, Dr. Pethiyagoda issued a challenge: “Let us not allow this to be a one-off. Let us build on this, volume after volume, until Sri Lanka finally has the flora it deserves.”

He compared Himesh’s contribution to that of a national athlete or artist. “Why do we celebrate cricketers and ignore scientists? What Himesh has done is no less significant. He has redefined what is possible.”

What This Book Really Represents

Beyond the taxonomy and photography, beyond the rediscoveries and accolades, this book is a philosophical act. It insists that in an age of despair, it is still possible to be curious. To look closely. To believe that not everything has already been seen.

It reminds us that knowledge is not fixed. That the forests still hold secrets. And that the future of conservation may rest not in grand declarations, but in humble, persistent observation.

As Himesh himself said during his brief, heartfelt remarks:

 “I only wanted to understand the forest. The more I saw, the more I realised how little we know. I just kept walking.”

Final thoughts

In a country often mired in political turbulence and economic uncertainty, it is easy to overlook the quiet revolutions. But every now and then, someone like Himesh Jayasinghe emerges, not to disrupt, but to illuminate.

And in that light, we begin to see ourselves more clearly.

By Ifham Nizam ✍️