This document discusses endemic plants in Sri Lanka. It defines endemism and explains that there are two types - paleoendemism for formerly widespread species now restricted to a smaller area, and neoendemism for recently arisen species. Over 200 plant species are endemic to Sri Lanka, with about 140 found in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, including trees from families like Dipterocarpaceae and Rubiaceae. Threats include habitat loss from agriculture and development. Conservation efforts focus on protected areas and ex-situ methods like botanical gardens to preserve endemic species.

1. ENDEMIC PLANTS IN
SRI LANKA

2. INTRODUCTION TO ENDEMISM
• Endemism is the ecological state of a species
being unique to a defined geographic location,
such as an island,nation,country or other
defined zone or habitat type. The extreme
opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan
distribution.

3. • There are two sub categories of endemism.
1. Paleoendemism
2. Neoendemism
• Paleoendemism
 Species that were formerly widespread but are now
restricted to a smaller area.
• Neoendemism
 Species that have recently arisen, such as through
divergence and reproductive isolation or through
hybridization and polyploidy in plants.

4. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF
ENDEMISM?
• Narrow ecological amplitude.
• Poor adaptability.
• Geographical barriers.
• Changing climatic conditions.

5. Plants can be divided into 3 categories
according to their habitats.
• Endemic Plants
• Native Plants
• Exotic Plants

6. INTRODUCTION TO ENDEMIC PLANTS
• “A plant that is native to a certain limited
area”
OR
• When a species is found only in a particular
geographical region because of its isolation,
soil and climatic conditions, it is said to be
endemic.
• Endemic plants are special, because they are
found only one location and no else where.

7. Examples for endemic plants in Sri
Lanka

8. • Bedi –del (Artocarpus nobilis)
• Binara (Exacum trinervium)
• Bin-siyambala (Cassia kleinii)
• Bowitiya (Osbeckia octandra)
• Dawul Kurundu (Neolitsea cassia)
• Etamba (Mangifera zeylanica)
• Goraka (Garcinia quaesita)
• Halmilla (Trichadenia zeylanica)
• Hulan Kiriya (Stachyphrynium zeylanicum)
• Idda (Walidda antidysenterica)
• Kaduru (Strychnos trichocalyx)
• Kaha-wewal (Calamus rivalis)
• Keena (Calophyllum walkeri)

9. INTRODUCTION TO INDIGENOUS
PLANTS
• Plants that indigenous to a given area in
geologic time.
• This includes plants that have developed,
occur naturally or existed for many years in an
area.
• Not only one area but also can be found in
several countries naturally.
• Also called as Native plants.

10. Examples for Indigenous plants in Sri
Lanka

11. INTRODUCTION TO EXOTIC PLANTS
• Introduced species that does not naturally
occur in the area and has been brought in
accidentally or intentionally by man.

12. Endemic plants in Sinharaja Forest
Reserve
• There are about 217 endemic plants can be
found in Sri Lanka.
• About 140 plant species are located in
Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
• In forest canopy layer, endemic plants are
belonging to following families.

13. Family Dipterocarpaceae
 Dipterocarpus zeylanicus
 Doona congestifolia
 Doona trapezifolia
 Doona macrophylla
 Dipterocarpus hispidus
Family Celastraceae
 Kokoona zeylanica
 Bhesa zeylanica

15. Family Cornaceae
Mastixia tetrandra
Family Sapotaceae
Madhuca fulva
Family Myristicaceae
Myristica dactyloides

16. Endemic plants in sub canopy layer
Family Rubiaceae
Dichilanthe zeylanica
Family Clusiaceae
Calophyllum bracteatum
Family Sapotaceae
Palaquium rubiginosum

17. Family Myrtaceae
Syzygium neesianum
 Family Sapindaceae
Glenniea unijuga

18. Endemic plants in ground layer
Family Euphorbiaceae
Agrostistachys coriacea
Bridelia mooni
Aporusa lanceolate
Family Rubiaceae
Nargedia macrocapa
Family Olacaceae
Strombosa nana

19. IMPORTANCE OF ENDEMIC PLANTS
Supply food resources
Medicinal value
Commercial value
Ecological value
Aesthetic value
Supply fire wood
Maintain the soil quality
Maintain the air quality
Maintain the water quality etc.

20. THREATS TO ENDEMIC PLANTS
The extinction of endemic plants is occurred due
to habitat degradation and loss.
Following situations are affected.
Agricultural activities
Global environment change
Invasion of non native species
Over exploitation of resources
Habitat fragmentation
Mining
Environmental pollution
Over population
Natural disasters etc.

21. WHAT IS RED LIST?
• A collection of the available information
relative to endangered and threatened
species.

22. RED LIST OF ENDEMIC PLANTS
• The Red List highlights that Sri Lanka permanent loss
of five flowering plants, and fear for the 177 plants
listed as “possibly extinct”
• Doona ovalifolia – Pini Beraliya is ‘Extinct in Wild’
• Some plants, such as the Alphonsea hortensis and
Doona ovalifolia, are found only in the Botanical
Gardens; so they are categorized “Extinct in the
Wild”.

23. CONSERVATION OF ENDEMIC PLANTS
• The goal of conservation is protecting
endemic plants
• There are two basic approaches.
1) In-situ conservation
2) Ex-situ conservation

24. IN- SITU CONSERVATION
• It simply means conservation of species in its
natural ecosystems or even in manmade
ecosystems.
• This strategy emphasizes the protection of
endemic plants through a network of “Protected
area”.
• Protected area means,
 An area of land specially dedicated to
the protection and maintenance of
biological diversity and managed
through legal effective means.

25. • There are different categories of protected
areas which are managed with different
objectives.
• E.g. Biosphere reserves,Strict nature
reserves,National parks,Nature
reserves,Jungle coridors etc.

26. EX-SITU CONSERVATION
• It is defined as “the conservation of
component of biological diversity (sample of
genetic diversity, particularly of endangered
species) outside their natural habitats.
• It involves maintenance and breeding of
endangered plants under partially or wholly
controlled conditions.
• E.g. Botanical gardens,DNA banks, Pollen
banks, Seed banks, Gene banks, Herbal
gardens ,Nurseries etc.