Plant selection in ancient Tibetan palm-leaf manuscripts: a novel approach to rapid species identification

Palm-leaf manuscripts, which served as a key writing medium in early South Asia, contain extensive content such as religious texts and calendars, offering valuable material for historical and cultural research. The leaves commonly used belong to three Arecaceae species: Borassus flabellifer, Corypha umbraculifera, and C. utan. Regional preferences in material selection mean that identifying the botanical species of manuscripts can offer clues to their geographical origin, shedding light on historical dissemination and cultural exchange. This study applied micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and epidermal observation to analyze leaf anatomy, combined with UPGMA clustering. The three modern species were clearly distinguished, and two ancient Tibetan manuscript fragments were identified as C. umbraculifera. This work represents the first use of high-resolution micro-CT with statistical analysis to achieve species-level identification of palm-leaf manuscripts, providing a methodological basis for tracing their origins and demonstrating the potential of non-destructive techniques in heritage studies.