Results and discussion

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.

Species composition

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	Origin	Category	Total number of trees
Coconut	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*	Category	Origin
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.