Disparate

Cereus jamacaru

Mandacaru

The Mandacaru is a cactus native to Brazil, found mainly in the Northeastern region, such as in Bahia, Pernambuco and Ceará. It is a plant that can reach more than 5 meters, with a branched and thorny trunk. Its flowers are large, white and bloom at night, while its fruits are red and round, containing small black seeds. It is a highly venerated species in Brazil’s northeastern culture, mainly because it tolerates arid soils, common in its droughty hinterland, providing food for humans and their animals in periods of scarcity. This plant is symbolic of the resistance of northeastern people, and is present in the music and poetry of the region. “I [Mandacaru] am a faithful representative Of the strong northeastern people.”– Dalinha Catunda

Ceiba speciosa

Silk floss tree

As a giant, the Silk floss tree is a true creator of forests. Under its extensive canopy, several other species can develop. Its root system is capable of uniting large areas of the forest, as well as providing a home for many animals. Its kapok, the fibrous pulp of its fruit, similar to silky cotton balls, surrounds seeds and helps them to disperse. After the Ceiba speciosa blooms, the soil is cushioned with this material, which is capable of retaining moisture and ensuring the health of the tree. In Bolivia, legend has it that in the trunk of this tree, an important woman hid from evil spirits to give birth to her son. The child grew up to defeat the evil spirits and avenge his mother’s fate, who was trapped in the tree until her death. The tree, also known as the Toborochi, has a bulbous trunk which resembles a pregnant belly.

Schizolobium parahyba [Atlântico]

Atlantic Brazilian firetree

This variety of Schizolobium parahyba from the Atlantic forest belonged to a seed collector from Caxambu, in Minas Gerais. The municipality of Caxambu invests in seed collection and preparation of seedlings for a nursery. This nursery is located in the Parque das Águas Minerals (Mineral Water Park), an area protected as historical and environmental heritage. There is a thermal spring with unique mineral properties, a phenomenon considered rare, and a volcanic hill that provides these properties to the spring water. The guidance is to consume it “in the form of a cure”, and not on a regular basis.

Enterolobium contortisiliquum

Pacara earpod tree

The Enterolobium contortisiliquum, popularly known as Pacara earpod, is a tree native to South America whose trunk is remarkably wide. It was on one of these trunks that a family of Hyacinth Macaws was observed eating termites, where until then they were known to eat mostly seeds and fruits. Humans came to understand scientifically only from the year 2017 that the behavior of this animal vulnerable to extinction includes making nests in trees in the process of rotting due to termite infestation. The role of this tree in the ecosystem in which it exists transcends its life span.

Hevea brasiliensis

Pará rubber tree, Seringueira

Natural rubber can be extracted from the trunk of the Seringueira, an Amazonian tree. This rubber can be used to produce from tires to surgical gloves, it is waterproof and isolates electricity, making it even more effective than synthetic rubbers. Chico Mendes, a notorious Brazilian rubber tapper whose livelihood depended on protecting the forest and native rubber plantations, created one of Brazil's most renowned environmental movements. To combat deforestation caused by the creation of pastures, he confiscated chainsaws, blocked the passage of tractors, founded unions and educational projects. Thus, he gained international recognition, received a UN award, and became a reference in the global civil society sector. However, his murder by farmers in Xapuri in 1988, a year after receiving this award and at the age of 44, prematurely forced his activism to become a legacy for the protection of Brazilian biomes. This seed was acquired from a genetics guardian in Brasília-DF.

Cassia ferruginea

Cassia ferruginea, rain-of-gold tree

During its flowering period, it is impossible not to marvel at the Cassia ferruginea. Living up to its Brazilian name, the rain-of-gold tree attracts attention with its exuberant, golden flowering in the form of a cascade. This tree is native to Brazil but is not endemic, that is, it can be found in several other territories. It commonly populates urban centers, so it has the potential to regulate and remedy several unpleasant and harmful characteristics of the city. “Urban Trees” regulate both air and noise pollution, and cool down streets. Considering that nearly 40% of the world's plant diversity is threatened, non-endemic urban trees like Cassia ferruginea have the power to strengthen conservation efforts.

Não identificado

Unidentified

This highly unusual seed resembles the Cuscuta lupuliformis, as depicted in a Dutch identification guide of invasive species. One way of identifying whether the subject is a seed at all is by looking for a seed attachment scar, called hilum. The hilum signifies that the object being analyzed was once attached to the ovary of a plant, meaning, a botanical reproductive organ.