Preserving Sri Lanka’s indigenous healing heritage: An updated checklist of medicinal plants and conservation priorities

The fundamental information provided by plant checklists serves as the foundation for additional ecological, evolutionary, and biodiversity conservation hypothesis. Here, we compiled a comprehensive and taxonomically verified updated checklist of the medicinal plant species occurring in Sri Lanka. Updates include the addition of species recorded from Sri Lanka and the inclusion of synonyms and conservation status. Further, as many of these medicinal plants are collected from the wild, their conservation status is an important criterion in initiating future conservation actions. The present study focuses on collating all the documented updating of the existing checklists of medicinal plants occurring in Sri Lanka, documenting conservation status of these medicinal plants, identifying the most commonly used medicinal plant species, and the challenges associated in the medicinal herbal industry. A questionnaire survey was conducted with selected government Ayurveda and traditional practitioners, herbal collectors, and Ayurveda officers throughout the country. According to the findings, a total of 1476 plant species (Angiosperm: 1448, Gymnosperm: 04, Fern: 24) were recognized as plants with medicinal value used in Sri Lanka, with 969 of them being native in origin. Hundred and ninety-five of them are endemic to the country. About thirty-one percent of the native medicinal plants (n= 307 species) were identified as threatened. According to the survey, a total of 252 species (in 95 families) are utilized regularly, with the family Fabaceae predominating. Out of these, 50 species from 34 families are heavily utilized, and 34% of those are threatened species. The study also identified the most significant challenge faced by the medicinal plant industry among the various challenges it revealed. A compiled list of medicinal plants in Sri Lanka would provide an up-to-date inventory and essential information, crucial for initiating conservation efforts to preserve these valuable plant species in the country. Preserving medicinal plants in Sri Lanka is a complex endeavor that necessitates collaboration among government authorities, local communities, and a diverse array of stakeholders. It should balance the preservation of traditional healing practices and the sustainable use of these valuable plant resources.