Feb 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Matugama additional magistrate Nilupuli Lankaputhra today fined a German national for unwarranted collecting of a threatened endemic plant.

The German national Peter Nicholas was accused of trespassing Runakanda forest reserve and removing plants from there.

The foreign national in his possession had a rare endemic aqua plant that belonged to Legenendr Lagenandra family.

He was fined Rs. 50,000 and two locals who helped him were fined Rs. 30,000 each.

The suspects were produced in court by the Agalawatta Forest Controller K.G. Gunasekara.

Senior environmentalist Jagath Gunawardena recently revealed that a similar plant named as Lagenandra erosa which was found from Sri Lanka and now extinct is issued by Germany to the floral market at exorbitant prices per limited quantities.