Exacum sessile
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Genus Exacum or in sinhalese “Binara” are attractive wild flower types and is best known for its dazzling blue and belongs to the family Gentianaceae. The name Exacum is derived from its property of expelling pollens through the apical pores of anthers. There are 8 Exacum species found in Sri Lanka, out of those species, 5 are protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and two are critically endangered. Exacum sessile is one of the two critically endangered Binara species in Sri Lanka. There is a fascinating story behind the describing this plant and it begins way back in sixteen seventies. German-born physician and botanist Paul Hermann arrived the island as a Ship's Medical Officer for Dutch East India Company in 1672. During his stay, he collected many Ceylonese plants and deposited in Botanical garden of Leiden where he later appointed as the director. In 1753, 58 years after Paul Hermann’s death Carl Linnaeus described Exacum sessile, using a specim