This study was carried out
in 242 DS divisions covering 12 267 GN divisions, which represent 87 percent
coverage of the country. The intensity of the survey was low in the northern
and eastern districts owing to the prevailing security situation in this area.
This explains the unusually low total tally of species in these districts.
More than 400 woody species
are found in home gardens. Some species are planted while the balance
regenerates naturally in home gardens. Almost all the species in the categories
of food (F) and timber and food (TF) are planted while some of the timber (T)
species, especially in the dry zone, regenerate naturally. Table 7 shows the
origin and category for 76 species considered in this analysis in order of
frequency of occurrence. The most common tree species recorded during this
assessment are given in Appendix 1.
Table 7. Most
common home garden species in order of frequency of occurrence
Species name |
Origin |
Category |
Total number
of trees |
|
Local |
Botanical |
|||
Cocos nucifera |
Planted |
Timber & food |
38 616 649 |
|
Rubber |
Hevea brasiliensis |
Planted |
Timber |
17 101 488 |
Jak |
Artocarpus heterophyllus |
Planted |
Timber & food |
10 437 142 |
Arecanut |
Areca catechu |
Planted |
Food |
9 697 944 |
Mahogany |
Swietenia macrophylla |
Planted |
Timber |
6 410 248 |
Alstonia |
Alstonia macrophylla |
Planted |
Timber |
5 968 286 |
Mango |
Mangifera indica |
Planted |
Timber & food |
5 607 688 |
Albizzia_1 |
Albizia molucana |
Planted |
Timber |
5 607 581 |
Eucalyptus |
Eucalyptus spp. |
Planted |
Timber |
4 061 191 |
Teak |
Tectona grandis |
Planted |
Timber |
3 293 609 |
Margosa |
Azadirachta indica |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
3 044 932 |
Cashew |
Anacardium occidentale |
Planted |
Timber & food |
3 001 240 |
Lime |
Citrus aurantifolia |
Planted |
Food |
2 484 387 |
Lunumidella |
Melia dubia |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
2 349 245 |
Weera |
Drypetes sepiaria |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
2 073 390 |
Guava |
Psidium guajva |
Planted |
Food |
1 790 026 |
Kitul |
Caryota urens |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber & food |
1 751 016 |
Satin |
Chloroxylon swietenia |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
1 489 903 |
Orange |
Citrus cinensis |
Planted |
Food |
1 468 383 |
Sabukku |
Grevillea robusta |
Planted |
Timber |
1 460 721 |
Bamboo |
Bambusa vulgaris |
Planted |
Timber |
1 333 073 |
Gliricidia |
Gliricidia sepium L. |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
1 252 885 |
Halmilla |
Berrya cordifolia |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
1 185 466 |
Rambutan |
Nephelium lappaceum |
Planted |
Timber & food |
1 177 920 |
Toona |
Toona sinensis |
Planted |
Timber |
1 023 771 |
Daminiya |
Grewia damine |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
1 001 625 |
Butter fruit |
Persea americana |
Planted |
Food |
986 161 |
Wood apple |
Limonia acidissima |
Naturally grown/planted |
Timber & food |
948 752 |
Del |
Artocarpus altilis |
Planted |
Timber & food |
910 473 |
Hora |
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
865 437 |
Milla |
Vitex altissima |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
774 419 |
Ketakela |
Bridelia retusa |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
760 242 |
Tamarind |
Tamarindus indica |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber & food |
689 922 |
Kumbuk |
Terminalia arjuna |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
686 953 |
Kon |
Schleichera oleosa |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
664 536 |
Damba |
Syzygium assimile |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
627 121 |
Murunga |
Moringa oleifera |
Planted |
Food |
621 284 |
Helamba |
Mitragyma parvifolia |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
602 453 |
Palu |
Manilkara hexandra |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
599 898 |
Welang |
Pterospermum suberifolium |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
564 431 |
Kolon |
Adina cordifolia |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
548 464 |
Suriyamara |
Albizia odoratissima |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
509 591 |
Nedun |
Pericopsis mooniana |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
473 408 |
Jambu |
Syzygium malaccensis |
Planted |
Food |
463 685 |
Aralu |
Terminalia chebula |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber & food |
436 299 |
Gini sapu |
Michelia champaca |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
415 273 |
Kaduru |
Thevetia peruviana |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
382 514 |
Ipil Ipil |
Leucaena leucocephala |
Planted |
Timber |
373 421 |
Gammalu |
Pterocarpus marsupium |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
350 441 |
Anoda |
Anona cherimolia |
Planted |
Food |
325 895 |
Mee |
Madhuca longifolia |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
298 387 |
Cocoa |
Theobroma cacao |
Planted |
Food |
259 498 |
Mora |
Dim
ocarpus longana |
Naturally grown |
Timber & food |
252 611 |
Kenda |
Macaranga peltata |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
244 020 |
Veralu |
Elaeocarpus serratus |
Naturally grown |
Food |
234 654 |
Gansuriya |
Thespesia populnea |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
202 853 |
Delum |
Punica granatum |
Planted |
Food |
197 941 |
Kottamba |
Terminalia catappa |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
186 665 |
Pihimbiya |
Filicium decipiens |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
184 958 |
Bulu |
Terminalia bellirica |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
180 690 |
Ebony |
Diospyros ebenum |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber |
174 005 |
Godapara |
Dillenia retusa |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
171 937 |
Domba |
Calophyllum inophyllum |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
167 747 |
Beli |
Aegle marmelos |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Food |
165 718 |
Kahata |
Careya arborea |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
165 294 |
Wewarana |
Alseodaphne semicarpifolia |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
162 881 |
Hik |
Lannea coromandelica |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
149 077 |
Ehela |
Cassia fistula |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
140 965 |
Hulanhik |
Chukrasia tabularis |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
131 500 |
Palmairah |
Borrasus flabellifer |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Timber & food |
127 340 |
Nelli |
Phyllanthus emblica |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Food |
116 728 |
Ambarella |
Spondias dulcis |
Planted |
Food |
86 200 |
Albizzia_2 |
Albizzia lebbeck |
Naturally grown |
Timber |
70 110 |
Gal siyambala |
Dialium ovoideum |
Naturally grown |
Timber & food |
57 304 |
Etamba |
Mangifera zeylanica |
Naturally grown |
Timber & food |
52 103 |
Coffee |
Coffea arabica |
Planted |
Food |
40 936 |
Apart from the three general uses of the species given
in Table 7 some species are used widely in traditional medicine. Table 8 lists
species, used in traditional medicine, which were selected from a list of 142
species found in home gardens.
Table
8. Home garden species widely used in traditional medicine
Species name |
Category |
Origin |
|
Local |
Botanical |
||
Ahu |
Morinda citrifolia |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Ambarella |
Spondias dulcis |
Food |
Planted |
Aralu |
Terminalia chebula |
Timber & food |
Naturally grown/planted |
Attikka |
Ficus racemosa |
Timber |
Planted |
Bakini |
Nauclea orientalis |
Timber & food |
Planted |
Beli |
Aegle marmelos |
Food |
Planted |
Bulu |
Terminalia bellirica |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Delum |
Punica granatum |
Food |
Planted |
Domba |
Calophyllum inophyllum |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Ehela |
Cassia fistula |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Gammalu |
Pterocarpus marsupium |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Ingini |
Strychnos potatorum |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Kaduru |
Thevetia peruviana |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Kahata |
Careya arborea |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
Karapincha |
Murraya koenigii |
Food |
Planted |
Keena |
Calophyllum walkeri |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
Ketakela |
Bridelia retusa |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
Kirikon |
Walsura piscidia |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
Kitul |
Caryota urens |
Timber & food |
Planted |
Kolon |
Adina cordifolia |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
Kumbuk |
Terminalia arjuna |
Timber |
Naturally grown/planted |
Lime |
Citrus aurantifolia |
Food |
Planted |
Margosa |
Azadirachta indica |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Mee |
Madhuca longifolia |
Timber |
Naturally
grown/planted |
Murunga |
Moringa oleifera |
Food |
Planted |
Nelli |
Phyllanthus emblica |
Food |
Planted |
Sadikka |
Myristica fragrans |
Food |
Planted |
Tamarind |
Tamarindus indica |
Timber & food |
Planted |
Wara |
Calotropis gigantea |
Timber |
Naturally grown |
The majority of tree species
found in home gardens are indigenous or endemic with multi-purpose uses.
However, recently more exotic species have been introduced, especially
commercial timber species. Five of the top 10 species grown in home gardens are
exotic timber species. These species, namely teak, mahogany, Albizia molucana, Alstonia macrophylla and eucalyptus, account for 15 percent of the
total number of trees recorded in this assessment.