Diversity inventory and conservation of endemic and threatened medicinal plants of Malappuram District, Kerala

Abstract

Systematic studies on the medicinal plants diversity of Malappuram district resulted in the documentation of 869 taxa, including 85 endemic and threatened species of vascular plants used in folk and various Indian systems of medicine. Among the 85 species, 50 are endemic to peninsular India. Though the remaining 35 are with wider distribution pattern, their population is extremely low due to overexploitation. Of the 50 endemics, 16 are exceedingly threatened due to various factors with extremely narrow distribution pattern. Out of 85 species, 51 are under various threat categories including 28 Vulnerable, 11 Endangered, 7 Near Threatened, 4 Least Concern and one Critically Endangered. Trees are the dominating habit group with 43 species and others viz. shrubs, herbs and climbers represented by 14 each. Among the 85 endemic and threatened species of Malappuram, 50 are restricted to forest area and others are distributed to both forest and non-forest areas.