COVER N. 439 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 02.04.2024 

Posted on the 2nd April received on the 10th April 2024

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The last (for the time being, that is) cover from Ravindra I had on the "to post" stash. I can't really say how much I like these great covers with terrific stmps that Ravindra keeps sending.  Bohomȧ  sthoothi, Ravindra!

As part of the commemorative issue of World Wetlands day 2020, of which I had already written about a propos postcard #134, Sri Lanka Post also issued a souvenir sheet containing four of the ten 15 rupee stamps in the said issue, which Ravindra used on this particular cover.

The stamps are illustrated with paintings of  

- Xylocarpus granatum, the cannonball mangrove, a common mangrove with a wide distribution in Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Pacific islands.

- Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea, another mangrove dweller that occurs from India to tropical Asia and the western Pacific. It is the sole species of its genus, in the Rubiaceae family.

- Mesua stylosa, a tree of the Calophyllaceae family, endemic to Sri Lanka and listed  as Critically Endangered, by IUCN. (don't think it is a wetland specific species, but I may be wrong.)

- Aegiceras corniculatum, commonly known as black mangrove, another "Least Concern" species, that occurs in  India, South East Asia to southern China, New Guinea and Australia.

Postage was completed with two 50 rupee stamps part of a 10 same price stamp issue dating of 02FRB224.

The waterfalls on the stamps on the cover are  (l to r):

- Asupini Ella Waterfall, located in Aranayaka, this 30 m high waterfall collects the waters comming from the two sides of the Raksawa Mountain dropping them into the Maha river.

. Devathura ella Waterfall. The Devathura waterfalls are a group of three waterfalls located in Nuwara. with a total height of about 10 meters.

Once again the Postmarks indicates that the letter was posted in Colombo, Sri Lanka's economic Capital.