ABSTRACT Riparian ecosystems are ecologically dynamic landscape mosaics that sustain high plant diversity with substantial ethnomedicinal importance. Owing to their constant water availability, fertile alluvial soils, and microhabitat heterogeneity, riparian habitats serve as centers of both ecological and medicinal richness (Riis et al., 2020; Khan et al., 2025). This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of the reported ethnomedicinal uses of riparian plant species, emphasizing the diversity of life forms and their therapeutic implications. Forty taxa were selected based on the frequency of citation in ethnobotanical-pharmacological literature and their confirmed occurrence in riparian or moisture-influenced zones. Species verification was achieved through The World Flora Online and The International Plant Names Index (Addoun et al., 2021). Among the collected data, herbaceous taxa represented 50%, shrubs 22.5%, trees 20%, and climbers 7.5%. This dominance of herbaceous life forms highlights the ecological flexibility and harvesting convenience typical of moisture-rich environments (Elujoba et al., 2005). Riparian medicinal plants were recorded for a wide range of traditional applications—gastrointestinal, inflammatory, respiratory, metabolic, and microbial disorders—demonstrating their integrated role in local healthcare. The review underscores that these ecosystems act as “natural pharmacies,” combining cultural heritage with biochemical diversity.