Abstract OBJECTIVE To clarify the resource status and diversity of endemic medicinal plants in Shaanxi province. METHODS The species specificity, species composition, faunal composition, family and genus types, medicinal value and endangerment degree of endemic medicinal plants in Shaanxi province were studied by literature review.RESULTS There were 713 species of 331 genera and 101 families endemic to Chinese medicinal plants in the study area. Fifteen species were naturally distributed only in Shaanxi province, and the remaining 698 species were also naturally distributed in other provinces of China. Among the 713 species, 233 species(69 families, 159 genera) were not collected from the fourth resource census in Shaanxi province. There were 11 species of pteridophytes in 7 families and 11 genera, 14 species of gymnosperms in 4 families and 10 genera, 627 species of dicotyledons in 82 families and 278 genera, and 59 species of monocots in 8 families and 32 genera. The endemic life forms of medicinal plants in the study area were mostly herbaceous, followed by shrubs and trees, and semi-shrubs and epiphytes accounted for the least. There were 9 families with ≥ 20 species and 4 families with ≥ 10 species in the study area. The 90 families belonging to the endemic species of medicinal plants in Shaanxi province were divided into 13 distribution types and 9 variations, and the tropical distribution(2-7 categories) had a total of 34 families. There were 5 endemic species of medicinal plants in the study area under the national class I key protection, and 14 species under the national class II key protection. There were 26 species of plants under local key protection in Shaanxi province. There were 21 plants that could be used as original plants for medicinal materials included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China(2020 edition). CONCLUSION The endemic species of medicinal plants in Shaanxi province are rich in resources and have good medicinal value. However, the growing environment of some plants is harsh and human damage is serious. Multiple protection measures should be taken to maintain the species diversity and sustainable development of resources in the study area.