Hymenaea stigonocarpa
Jatoba
Jatobá [pronunciation: ja-tow-bah], in the Tupi language, means "tree with hard fruits". ‘Jatobá do cerrado’ (jatobá of the savanna), as it is called in Brazil, is endemic to the Brazilian savanna, namely the cerrado and cerradão. The two are distinguished only by the hardness of the leaves in the biome of the latter, a characteristic called sclerophyll. Sclerophyllous plants are highly resistant to lack of water and nutrients in the soil. The hardness of the fruits of this plant is a remnant of the Brazilian megafauna from the Pleistocene period, between 50 and 10 thousand years ago. During this period, plants relied on the consumption of their fruits by giant mammals to disperse their seeds. These mega herbivores have since become extinct, which has affected “many types of ecological processes, such as seed dispersal.” Today, plants that are “orphans of their mega-dispersers” are described as having a megafauna syndrome (quotes from Jacqueline Salvi de Mattos).
Persea americana
Avocado
Avocado cultivation is as old as the invention of the wheel. Five thousand years ago, in Mesoamerica, in what is now considered southern Mexico, the domestication of the avocado began. Before that, this fruit depended on giant mammals, now extinct, to consume and disperse this large and slightly toxic seed. It is said that, “in theory, the seed would be ready to sprout the moment it was” expelled. Shrines of religions of the African diaspora, such as Candomblé and Umbanda, use avocado leaves in cleansing washes and rituals for deities. There is also a common saying in rural Brazilian areas that avocados do not like to be planted alone, without other avocado trees nearby. Lonely, it gets sad, and doesn't produce many avocados. In reality, the avocado tree produces male and female flowers that bloom at different times of the day and depend on the action of pollinators to set fruit. Therefore, when the female flowers are open, there will possibly be no male flowers for pollination to occur. Therefore, at least two avocado plants are needed to guarantee a plentiful harvest.
Dipteryx alata
Dipteryx alata
The Dipteryx alata, known as Baru in Brazil, is native to the Brazilian savanna (cerrado) biome and produces a nut that is considered a super food. Its fruit is large and has a very hard shell, which results in limited consumption by small mammals. Therefore, this fruit is associated with the diet of the giant mammals which once inhabited Brazil. The extinction of this megafauna compromised the development of plant species like these, and currently, the Dipteryx alata is seen as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. As one of the products sold by artisanal extractive associations in the cerrado region, the Baru nut has been preserved through human cultivation and consumption.
Milpa
The Three Sisters
The union between Corn, Beans and Pumpkin is ancestral. It is known as Milpa, a word derived from the Nahuatl indigenous language, of the Uto-Aztecan family. As an ancient agricultural technique used in the Americas by native peoples, the Three Sisters represent a precolonial epistemology of scientific relevance to the trajectory of human existence. Corn, beans, and pumpkin seeds, when planted together, maximize the productivity of each of the three, enrich the soil, and contribute robustly to people's nutrition. Corn, in its quest for as much light as possible, grows vertically and provides a stable structure for the beans to climb. Beans, in turn, provide the soil with Nitrogen, an essential element for the healthy growth of several plants, including corn. Squash stays low on the ground, its wide leaves protect the soil and shallow roots from direct sun, and prevents the development of unwanted weeds. This trio is famous even in Brazilian popular music. Luiz Gonzaga, one of the greatest sertanista composers in Brazil, poetically describes the arrival of the rains in the arid fields of the Pernambuco hinterland: "...From the arrival of the rains in the hinterland See the cracked earth softening The land, before poor, enriching The corn pointing to the sky The beans on the floor spreading And then, for the harvest, what a joy…" Seeds and Tales created this piece where Milpa is the protagonist, honored as one of the first technological creations of holistic agriculture.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Purple Striped Creole Bean
This purple striped variety of common bean was purchased from the farm Recanto do São Francisco in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The selection of creole beans, as well as corn, is sometimes done for aesthetic reasons, creating an abundance of colors and patterns. Guardians of these genetic varieties are very proud to preserve this abundance and carry out exchanges between traditional communities. The wild Phaseolus vulgaris is native to the Americas, domesticated in Mesoamerica, and later in the Andes region. It traveled south, most likely alongside squash and maize (corn). These three Mesoamerican crops constitute the "Three Sisters", and are central to ancient Indigenous American agriculture techniques. Together, they complement each other not only in growth and development, but also in nutritional value.
Cucurbita moschata
Squash
This creole pumpkin variety was cultivated by Walterci, a small rural producer from Santa Rita do Jacutinga in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Walterci's small production guarantees his own subsistence, and income through the sale of his surplus. Alongside corn and beans, squash is one of the three Mesoamerican crops called the “Three Sisters”, and they are fundamental to ancient Native American agricultural techniques. Together, they complement each other not only in growth and development, but also in nutritional value. Native to the Americas, the Cucurbita moschata was distributed across the world following the European colonizing voyages. These new environments boosted this plant’s diversity and genetic variations, as such, becoming not only naturalized but also traditional in new lands. Zimbabwean cultivars, for instance, are manyfold, unique, thoroughly non-commercialised, and farmed alongside corn as staged by their Amerindian counterparts.
Zea mays
Creole Corn
Orange creole corn resembles the coat of the maned wolf, native to the Brazilian savanna. This variety was acquired from the farm Recanto do São Francisco, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The cultivars of this farm were passed on from hand to hand, from indigenous communities to the farmer and researcher Ernst Götsch, until they were consolidated as varieties with characteristics typical of the south of Minas Gerais. In Syntropic Agriculture, under the guidance of Götsch, creole corn is used in experiments aimed at improving food production, and at the same time recovering degraded soils and reforesting desertified lands.
Zea mays [Cusco]
Cusco Giant Corn
This corn is of Peruvian origin, more specifically from the Cusco region. As one of the species most exported by Peru, it is an ambassador for the diversity of landraces in this Andean country. Considering that “the first task of the Incas upon conquering new territories was always to build irrigation works for the specific purpose of planting maize”, and that Cusco was the capital of the Empire, one could say that this corn is a central pillar of this ancient civilization. Today, Cusco is a protected world heritage site, as “one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere”. As the Cusco Giant Corn has been adapted to the Brazilian climate, some specimens of these seeds were donated to the Mário Lago Settlement (of the Landless Workers Movement). Today, there are at least 200 varieties of corn, which are the result of genetic selection initiated ten thousand years ago in Mexico, and developed by Amerindian peoples since then. Six and a half millennia ago, the southwest region of the Amazon was central to this genetic development. By accompanying the migratory flows of Amerindian peoples, corn gained new characteristics, shapes and colors. From the 1980s, native maize cultivars began to suffer great threat due to the proliferation of genetically modified seeds. These seeds, patented by the agro-industrial complex, have a strong commercial appeal and are planted in monocultures that are highly dependent on pesticides. At the end of a monocultural cycle, what remains is a degraded and impoverished soil, and a desertified area.
Zea mays [Huilcaparu]
Huilcaparu corn
The Huilcaparu corn is ancestral and originates from the region we now call Bolivia, in particular the Cochabamba Valley. Its value for the ancient civilizations of the Americas is clear, “The first task of the Incas upon conquering new territories was always to build irrigation works for the specific purpose of planting maize.” (National Academy of Sciences - USA - 1960) This species of corn was appropriated in the 1960s by US American universities for research into genetic mutations induced by radiation. Paramutation, as an epigenetic concept of inducing DNA changes (in plants, and later in mice), was first observed in corn, with its ability to affect the color of kernels. Today, there are at least 200 varieties of corn, which are the result of genetic selection initiated ten thousand years ago in Mexico, and developed by Amerindian peoples since then. Six and a half millennia ago, the southwest region of the Amazon was central to this genetic development. By accompanying the migratory flows of Amerindian peoples, corn gained new characteristics, shapes and colors. From the 1980s, native maize cultivars began to suffer great threat due to the proliferation of genetically modified seeds. These seeds, patented by the agro-industrial complex, have a strong commercial appeal and are planted in monocultures that are highly dependent on pesticides. At the end of a monocultural cycle, what remains is a degraded and impoverished soil, and a desertified area.
Zea mays [Checche]
Cheqche corn
Cheqche corn is an ancestral Andean species that the Seeds and Tales project managed to introduce into an agroforestry system in the mountainous region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, through a farmer named Léo Novaes. To this day, after millennia of domesticated cultivation, this corn is still used as currency. The larger the grain, the more valuable it is. In the sacred valleys of the Incas, this type of exchange is called chalasq’a, or chalakuy, and cereal production is a significant occupation, especially for indigenous women of the Andes. Unfortunately, this ancient cultural practice of exchange, nowadays, can be contaminated by the modern economy, and practiced abusively. Power dynamics that marginalize indigenous peoples can interfere with the possibility of negotiation for traditional producers of these cereals.
Zea mays [Checche Colca]
Cheqche Colca corn
The Cheqche corn variety originates from the Peruvian Andes and was donated to an agroecological project in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. This variety was successfully reproduced by farmer Léo Novaes, who became the guardian of this genetic line of Zea mays. The Colca Valley, in Peru, where this corn is ancestrally cultivated, is inhabited by descendants of the indigenous Collagua people, who preserve native species and ancient agricultural methods. The Aymara, the indigenous ethnic and linguistic family the Collagua are a part of, have inhabited this land before the Incas, and have endured with the power of adaptability to the transformation of eras.
Zea mays [Cancha Serrana]
Cancha Serrana corn
This corn originates from the Peruvian Andes and is cultivated in Brazil. This variety was acquired from a seed guardian called Thiago, and given to the farmer Léo Novaes to be reproduced in an ecological agriculture project in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. The hundreds of varieties of corn that we have today are the result of genetic selection initiated by Amerindian people ten thousand years ago in Mexico. Six and a half millennia ago, the southwestern Amazon region was central to this genetic development. By following the migratory flows of Amerindian peoples, corn gained new characteristics, shapes and colors. In the Peruvian Andes, ancient evidence has been found that seeds follow human migration. The Incas, as pioneers of plant domestication and agriculture, developed unique methods of growing corn in harsh valley and high-altitude contexts. Thus, in their sacred valleys, resilient and beautiful varieties of corn began to develop.
Zea mays [Adriana Amarelo]
Yellow Creole Corn [Adriana Amarelo]
This corn variety was cultivated by the farm Recanto do São Francisco in Minas Gerais, Brazil, honoring the seed guardian Adriana who brought this Creole genetic variety to the region. A creole seed variety is native, free from commercial genetic manipulations, and unknown to modern agro-industrial technologies. Nowadays, that seeds have become patented commodities by companies which single-handedly develop new DNA sequences of crops, creole seeds and their protectors are the vanguard of a movement which ensures the survival of the world's flora, its origins and magnificent diversity. These seeds, patented by the agro-industrial complex, have a strong commercial appeal and are planted in monocultures that are highly dependent on pesticides. At the end of a monocultural cycle, what remains is a degraded and impoverished soil, and since the 1980s, creole maize is an example of a cultivar that suffers under this threat.
Zea mays [Adriana Roxo]
Purple Creole corn [Adriana Roxo]
This purple variety of creole corn was named Adriana as a way of honoring the seed guardian who brought it to her property and reproduced it. It was acquired from the farm Recanto do São Francisco. The cultivars of this farm were passed on from hand to hand, from indigenous communities to the farmer and researcher Ernst Götsch, until they consolidated as varieties with characteristics typical of the south of Minas Gerais. In Syntropic Agriculture, under the guidance of Götsch, creole corn is used in experiments aimed at improving food production, and at the same time recovering degraded soils and reforesting desertified lands.
Zea mays [Bicudo]
Bicudo Creole corn
Though adapted to the Midwestern Brazilian climate, this corn originates from the Peruvian Andes, where ancient evidence has been found of seeds following human migration. Today, there are at least 200 varieties of corn, which are the result of genetic selection initiated ten thousand years ago in Mexico, and developed by Amerindian peoples since then. Six and a half millennia ago, the southwest region of the Amazon was central to this genetic development. By accompanying the migratory flows of Amerindian peoples, corn gained new characteristics, shapes and colors. Given the relevance of this plant as one of the main foods in these populations’ diet, it is common for shared rites and myths to exist, celebrating its importance and diversity. The Ticuna people, for example, describe corn as bait for US Americans in the myths of the adventures of the brothers Yoi and Ipi. It is interesting to note that today, the United States really is the largest consumer of corn in the world. From the 1980s, native maize cultivars began to suffer great threat due to the proliferation of genetically modified seeds. These seeds, patented by the agro-industrial complex, have a strong commercial appeal and are planted in monocultures that are highly dependent on pesticides. At the end of a monocultural cycle, what remains is a degraded and impoverished soil, and a desertified area.
Zea mays [Indurata]
Purple Corn
Peruvian purple corn is the main ingredient of the typical Peruvian drink chicha morada. This drink has been described as having the potential to prevent colon cancer, and has been used in spiritual ceremonies by ancient peoples of the Peruvian region. Today, there are at least 200 varieties of corn, which are the result of genetic selection initiated ten thousand years ago in Mexico, and developed by Amerindian peoples since then. Six and a half millennia ago, the southwest region of the Amazon was central to this genetic development. By accompanying the migratory flows of Amerindian peoples, corn gained new characteristics, shapes and colors. Alongside squash and beans, corn is one of the three Mesoamerican crops called the “Three Sisters”, and they are fundamental to ancient Native American agricultural techniques. Together, they complement each other not only in growth and development, but also in nutritional value. Given the relevance of this plant as one of the main foods in these populations’ diet, it is common for shared rites and myths to exist, celebrating its importance and diversity. The Ticuna people, for example, describe corn as bait for Americans in the myths of the adventures of the brothers Yoi and Ipi. It is interesting to note that today, the United States really is the largest consumer of corn in the world. From the 1980s, native maize cultivars began to suffer great threat due to the proliferation of genetically modified seeds. These seeds, patented by the agribusiness complex, have a strong commercial appeal and are planted in monocultures that are highly dependent on pesticides. At the end of a monocultural cycle, what remains is a degraded and impoverished soil, and a desertified area.
Vigna unguiculata
Spotted Cowpea
The cowpea is an annual legume plant with high tolerance to arid and degraded soils. Owning to this ability, it thrived in the semi-arid northeastern hinterlands of Brazil. The genus Vigna is vastly diverse in color and shape, characteristics that often name the variety of the cultivar. Therefore, its title varies from region to region. Originally from Africa, this plant was brought to Brazil at the beginning of the colonial era, in the 16th century. During this period, between 1549 and 1763, Salvador was the capital of Brazil, and experienced the slave trade grievously. From that city, black-eyed peas, or cowpeas, spread throughout Brazil, and became a central ingredient in acarajé and abará, dishes which are ritualistically prepared by practitioners of African diasporic religions.
Canavalia gladiata
Sword Bean
This bean is of Asian origin and has curious characteristics. It is a cultigen, meaning, it came into existence through human cultivation and its wild ancestor is not known. If it is not the largest bean in the world, it is certainly in the category of one of the largest, reaching more than 3 centimeters. After multiple boils, these beans can be safely consumed, thus neutralizing toxic substances present in them when unprocessed. Its neutral taste and high amounts of starch resemble the flavor of potatoes. In Korea, Canavalia gladiata is used medicinally, and its extract can be seen as an ingredient in soap, aimed at skin health.
Phaseolus vulgaris [Mouro]
Mouro Beans
This creole bean variety was acquired from a seed collector and exchanged with a genetics guardian in the city of Baependi, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Beans, like corn, can have hundreds of genetic varieties thanks to the process of cross-pollination. Cross-pollination is advantageous because this genetic variety provides the species' adaptability, and thus, its survival. For Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), this natural crossing is seen as ‘contamination’, and is actively prevented.
Dolichos lablab [Lablab purpureus]
Hyacinth bean
These beans are of Indian origin, and were taken to Brazil by enslaved populations during the colonial period. It is considered an unconventional edible plant, also known as PANC (the Brazilian acronym standing for ‘Plantas alimentícias não convencionais’). This species adapted well to the climate of northeastern Brazil, because it is more resistant to drought than the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Therefore, it was quickly absorbed into the culinary culture of the region. In Kenya, this bean is known as njahe or njahi, and is often described by researchers as ‘underutilized’. Its robust nutritional profile, and ability to improve the quality of the soil, minimize weeds, and rehydrate all beg the question of why this crop isn’t as much of a dietary and agricultural convention around the world as it is in Kenya. The answer to this question might lie in the economics of British colonialism, which forced colonies to produce food with European consumption preferences in mind, over their own. Today, it is said that The Njahi is the most expensive bean variety in Kenya.
Phaseolus lunatus [Lobisomem]
Werewolf ear Lima bean
The Phaseolus lunatus is historically found in Meso- and South America. Two gene pools of cultivated lima beans point to independent domestication events. The Mesoamerican lima bean is distributed in neotropical lowlands, while the other is found in the western Andes. In Brazil, there are nearly 200 types of Phaseolus lunatus, indicating a highly diverse collection, one of which is the Werewolf ear Lima bean ('Orelha de lobisomem'). Its name comes from the folkloric creature whose fur is black and white. The werewolf legend has its origins in Greece and was brought to Brazil with the Portuguese. The symbolism of the dichotomy between good and evil, shadow and light, present in the folklore, is printed on this seed.
Phaseolus lunatus [Lima]
Lima Bean
The Phaseolus lunatus is historically found in Meso- and South America. Two gene pools of cultivated lima beans point to independent domestication events. The Mesoamerican lima bean is distributed in neotropical lowlands, while the other is found in the western Andes. Its name comes from the labels on the boxes – "Lima, Peru” – when they were exported to Europe during colonization. Indeed, the Incas were pioneers in plant domestication and agriculture. But the Lima bean was influential in pre-Inca Moche culture, where it is believed that these beans are “sacred elements that carry messages to be deciphered” by spiritual leaders. This seed was acquired from a seed keeper called Thiago and donated to the food sovereignty project "Horta na favela" (‘Vegetable garden in the favela’) in the community of Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro. Resembling a goat's eye, this is a variety of edible broad bean.
Vicia faba
Red Broad bean
Vicia faba, known as fava or broad bean, is a leguminous plant, and as such, it adapts well to infertile soils. It is not the case with this species that the larger the seed, the more yield in production. It is the smaller seeds that produce the most pods. Its domestication is so ancient that researching its origins may be crucial to understanding the point at which humanity shifted from the process of collecting food to producing food. Studies identify its origin in the eastern Mediterranean.
Mucuna pruriens
Velvet bean
The velvet bean is a climbing legume. As a leguminous plant, this bean develops a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in its roots, which leads to the conversion of Nitrogen that’s in the air into a resource for plants in the soil. This process, named nitrogen fixation, represents vital transformation. Therefore, it can be used to recover degraded soils, and is useful in agroecological initiatives. This plant’s leaves and its extract have long been used in traditional West African communities as an antidote for snakebites. While in India, Ayurveda tradition attributes Mucuna pruriens to the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Canavalia ensiformis
Jack Bean
The jack bean is a type of broad bean, from the Fabaceae family, native to Central and South America. When planted, it has the ability to nourish the soil, improving the ground's conditions for other species to develop. In addition to being incredibly resistant to degraded soils and agile in growth, it can be consumed by humans. However, its preparation period is much longer than that of a common bean, as toxins present in it can cause effects similar to alcohol or cannabis, having “anti-nutritional” characteristics. Therefore, the most common use of this broad bean is as a green fertilizer, which indirectly nourishes us through the earth.
Vigna unguiculata [Caupi]
Green Thai Cowpea
The cowpea is an annual legume with high tolerance to arid and degraded soils. Owning to this ability, it thrived in the semi-arid northeastern backlands of Brazil. The genus Vigna is vastly diverse in color and shape, characteristics that often name the variety of the cultivar. Therefore, its title varies from region to region. Originally from Africa, this plant was brought to Brazil during the colonial era, in the 16th century. Aside from its wide range of health benefits, this bean is the preeminent ingredient in acarajé, a dish widely consumed in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. This dish is ritualistically prepared as an offering for the deity called Iansã deity, an Orixá of the African diasporic religion Candomblé.
Phaseolus lunatus
Tiger Eye Beans
There are hundreds of varieties of beans, but a minuscule fraction of them are a part of everyday life for urban populations. This Tiger Eye bean is a rare variety, exchanged during an agro-ecological experience in the backlands of Taquari, in Paraty, Brazil. Its atypical coloring in shades of red and black resemble a feline's eye. A creole seed such as this one is native, free from commercial genetic manipulations, and unknown to modern agro-industrial technologies.
Cucurbita pepo
Zucchini
Archaeological investigations have found evidence that cucurbita was domesticated in the Americas at least 10,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest domesticated species. Seeds of this plant were found in fossilized mammoth excrement from thousands of years ago, indicating that its consumption by “giant herbivores” was part of their dispersal technology and survival strategy. This zucchini seed (cucurbita pepo) is a variety acquired from a seed guardian and donated to a settled farmer from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). The MST is a social movement that seeks to mobilize rural workers and society in the fight for the population's right, guaranteed by the Brazilian constitution, for land to fulfill its social function. In other words, land, especially rural land, beyond merely being private property, must play a role in society as a whole.
Cucurbita spp
Field pumpkin
Archaeological investigations have found evidence that the field pumpkin has been domesticated all over the Americas for at least 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest domesticated species. Cucurbita seeds have been found in fossilized mammoth droppings from thousands of years ago, indicating that its consumption by “giant herbivores” was part of the plant’s dispersal technology and thriving strategy. Some varieties of pumpkin are called Moranga in Brazil and Bugango in the Azores region of Portugal. These common names possibly originate from the Kikongo language, native to the center and north of Angola, and part of the territory where the Portuguese language was instated in the colonial era.
Samara não identificada
Unidentified vine
This seed is too distinctive to be precisely identified. As a gliding winged seed, it disperses with the wind, and it embodies a spiritual symbolism widely used in meditation techniques. Aside from its clear resemblance to a circular winged seed such as the elm tree’s, it is possible to identify this subject as a seed due to its visible hilum, indicating where the stalk once was. Their potential for movement is largely ignored as a field of study, especially regarding what's denominated as secondary dispersion – the distance between its origin and its germination. Even so, this family of seeds has inspired several innovations in aviation.
Handroanthus impetiginosus
Pink trumpet tree (Atlantic)
This Pink trumpet tree from the Atlantic forest belonged to a seed collector from Caxambu, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Generally, Amazonian varieties of species are much larger than the varieties from the Atlantic forest. As such, the Handroanthus impetiginosus is not endemic, occurring from Mexico to Argentina, and across a good portion of the Brazilian landscape. The flowers of Handroanthus impetiginosus cover the tall crown of the tree in various shades of purple and pink, they are beautiful and attract bees, hummingbirds, wasps, butterflies, and also people who make tea from them. In 2020, a governmental Brazilian institution removed the ‘ipê’ (trumpet tree) from the international list of threatened trees. Soon, non-governmental organizations dedicated to environmental preservation went to court to reverse this decision, which, according to them, makes illegal wood export practices viable. The export of this tree is still seen as a threat to the survival of this species on the planet by entities that observe environmental facts rather than economic flows.
Handroanthus impetiginosus
Pink trumpet tree
The seeds of the Pink trumpet tree are small and flat, with wings that facilitate their dispersion by the wind. They are found inside pods, which open when ripe. The flowers of Handroanthus impetiginosus cover the tall crown of the tree in various shades of purple and pink. They are beautiful and attract bees, hummingbirds, wasps, butterflies, and also people who make tea from them. In 2020, a governmental Brazilian institution removed the ‘ipê’ (trumpet tree) from the international list of threatened trees. Soon, non-governmental organizations dedicated to environmental preservation went to court to reverse this decision, which, according to them, makes illegal wood export practices viable. The export of this tree is still seen as a threat to the survival of this species on the planet by entities that observe environmental facts rather than economic flows.
Platypodium elegans
Graceful platypodium
This variety of Jacaranda is found mainly in the Brazilian savanna biome. Its winged seeds allow the species to spread widely. Guardians of genetic plant varieties were responsible for collecting this seed in the forest, and making it available for reforestation and agroforestry projects. The Graceful platypodium is native to Brazil, and is associated with a 19th century German botanist named Vogel. It is said that he was the first to describe this species, but the indigenous Xavante people already referred to it as ‘wede itsaipro’, or “foam tree”. Its leaf is rich in Vitamin C and its fruit feeds various animals, from beetles, to parrots, to spider monkeys, in addition to its roots enriching the soil with nitrogen.
Aspidosperma subincanum
Aspidosperma subincanum
This Aspidosperma subincanum seed was donated to the Mário Lago Settlement, in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, for a reforestation project. It is used in projects of this type because it is a pioneer species, that is, it's capable of developing in environments considered inhospitable for other plants. Its seed is winged, and scattered by the wind. The potential for movement of seeds like these is often overlooked as a field of study, especially in what is called secondary dispersal – the distance between its origin and its germination.
Cybistax antisyphilitica
Green Ipe
‘Ipê’ means ‘hard shell’ in the indigenous Tupi language. Overall, the wood from these trees is valued for being strong and flexible, ideal for the production of furniture and hunting bows – which is why it was named pau d’arco (meaning ‘bow stick’ in Portuguese. This species stands out for having green flowers. According to the Amazon fund, its “bark and leaves can kill the larvae of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits the dengue fever.” This winged seed is dispersed by wind and water, although its movement potential is often ignored as a field of study, especially in what is called secondary dispersal - the distance between its origin and its germination. Even so, this family of seeds inspired several innovations in aviation.
Tecoma stans
Ipe Mirim
Tecoma stans is known as ipe mirim (meaning ‘little ipe’ in Portuguese), and is common in the urban landscaping of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Its seeds are small, measuring about 1.5 cm in length, they have a smooth, shiny surface and are light brown in color. Its root has the potential to inhibit the effects of the venom of the Indian Cobra. This winged seed is dispersed by wind and water. Although its movement potential is often ignored as a field of study, especially in what is denominated secondary dispersion – the distance between its origin and its germination, this family of seeds inspired several innovations in aviation. The family of this tree is called Bignoniaceae, and in addition to ipe mirim, this species is also known as pau d'arco-amarelo (yellow-arch stick), pau d'arco-bandeira (flag-arch stick), pau d'arco-roxo (purple-arch stick), common-ipe, ipê-do-cerrado (savanna’s ipe), and black-ipe. Native to South America, it can be easily found in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil, mainly in the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. These trees are common in savannas and riparian woodlands, where they serve as protection for rivers and lakes.
Banisteriopsis caapi
Uni
Cooking Uni (Banisteriopsis caapi) with Chacrona (Psychotria viridis) generates the famous ritualistic potion called Ayahuasca. The vine Banisteriopsis caapi is native to the forests of South America, abundant in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. It is known as caapi or cipó-mariri, but by the Yawanawá people, this robust plant was baptized as Uni. Uni contains an inhibitor called monoamine oxidase, which promotes the absorption of DMT in the human body. Chacrona is a shrub that contains DMT, or Dimethyltryptamine, and therefore the marriage between these two plants provides the essential elements for the creation of an ancient and ancestral indigenous medicine that was essential for the spiritual development of several cultures. This alchemical marriage is particular and delicate. It enables the expansion of human consciousness through visions, sensations, memories, and profound thoughts. Ayahuasca is a drink consumed for millennia inducing such altered states of mind in Amerindian shamanic rituals. As a drink, it is a classified entheogen, that is, a psychoactive substance that enables an experience of transcendence and contact with the divine. One of the most reported effects of Ayahuasca is the dissolution of the ego. The dismantling of the “I” as a concept is accompanied by the phenomenon coined in analytical psychology as 'psychic death'. This meta/euphoric death assists in the achievement of communion with a universal entirety and generates an awareness of holistic union. The consecration of Ayahuasca is central to the spiritual manifestation of forest peoples. The ritual allows for a visit to the realm of the deities, and from the tales and histories lived during these states of transcendence, a mythology is conceived that assures social cohesion through shared rites.
Amphilophium crucigerum
Monkeys comb
Known as both Amphilophium crucigerum and Pithecoctenium crucigerum, the Monkey’s comb is a vine native to Mexico, whose fruit is “thorny”, its flowers are bell-shaped of white and yellow, and its seeds are winged. These unique qualities have turned this plant into a feature of Mayan folklore. La Xtabay, a mythological figure from Mexico, more specifically in Yucatán, is said to float above a Ceiba tree in a white dress, and comb her hair with the thorny fruit of the Monkey’s comb. She was the sister of another beautiful woman named Xkeban, but they had opposite approaches towards how this beauty ought to be utilized in relationships with men. While one sister had plenty of relationships, the other took pride in staying pure. This tale is centered around how such purity is not as important as being kind. Though pure, Xtabay was unable to overcome jealousy and bitterness, so the story goes, she “seduces and punishes men”. Throughout the years of colonization, it is said that this tale has changed, namely with the arrival of the Spanish and the spread of Christianity. Through a Christian lens, the role of the tree and fruit was diminished, and the realm of purity exacerbated.
Mauritia flexuosa
Moriche palm
The Mauritia flexuosa, also known as Buriti or Moriche palm, is a species of palm tree from the Arecaceae family, native to the Amazon region. Buriti is widely distributed throughout the Amazon basin, but can also be found in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) and Caatinga. The Buriti fruit is immensely relevant for traditional populations in arid Brazilian hinterlands, as it provides food with high nutritional value in periods of scarcity and in areas considered inhospitable. Furthermore, the presence of a Moriche palm grove indicates there is water in the ground – it symbolizes an oasis. Its leaves can be used to produce strong ropes, nets and hammocks, and it is a significant part of ancient indigenous nomadic cultures, who relied on this palm tree for different aspects of their lives. This vast utility indicates that the abundance of this species in certain areas of the forest points to the result of semi-cultivation in antiquity, and is therefore seen as an archaeological site. Today, ranching threatens the survival of this species, which is why there are protection measures put in place by Conservation Units in northeastern Brazil.
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Blue Jacaranda
In several Brazilian cities, the Blue Jacaranda is used as an ornamental species in urban forestation, due to its exuberant blue and purple flowers that attract hummingbirds. However, in its original habitat of southern Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, this tree is considered vulnerable. Kate Sessions, one of the first women to study at Berkeley, graduated in natural sciences and is revered for bringing the Jacaranda mimosifolia to California at the end of the 19th century. Her landscaping work was highly coveted, and today a statue of her in San Diego's Balboa Park is the only one in the city to honor a feminine historical figure. These Blue Jacaranda seeds were acquired for the Seeds and Tales project from seed guardians in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Cedrela fissilis
Argentine cedar
The Argentine cedar is a tree that occurs naturally from Costa Rica to southern Brazil. Its wood has pink and red tones, and is used to “perfume rooms”. Unfortunately, this tree is considered a vulnerable species, as its population declines due to urban expansion, agriculture and logging. The wood of Cedrela fissilis was iconic in the creation of the “Guaraní Baroque” style, an artistic identity from the beginning of the formation of Brazil as a country, composed of religious sculptures. It is said that the Guaraní Indians see this tree as the one that gave rise to all trees, after a “cataclysm that destroyed the world”. Its seed was brought by a bird, and from it, all vegetation was reborn. Christian missionaries used this legend to evangelize indigenous people in the group of villages called Sete Povos das Missões (or Misiones Orientales). Through representations of figures from Christian mythology carved into reddish cedar, figures with features similar to those of indigenous peoples were generated. Eventually, in the middle of the 18th century, these Jesuit-Guarani communities went to war with the Portuguese crown in what we today call the Guaraní Wars. A group of seed collectors in Minas Gerais, Brazil, provided this specimen for the Seeds and Tales project.
Swietenia macrophylla
Big-leaf mahogany
The Brazilian big-leaf mahogany is a variety of the endemic neotropical tree found in Brazil. Today, it is classified in appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This means that it is considered at risk of extinction if its commercialization as timber is not controlled. In the Classic Maya period, around a millennium ago, Swietenia macrophylla was abundant. This abundance was provided by the Mayan farming culture, and combined swiddening with intense agriculture. The highly profitable harvest of this tree during the colonial period decimated this population and the environmental legacy of the Maya. This seed was acquired from a collector in Brasília, Brazil, specialized in identifying and mapping wild parent trees. These parent trees are central to the propagation potential of their family, like a matriarch.
Dalbergia nigra
Bahia rosewood
The Bahia rosewood is sought after as it is considered to be of high quality for 3 centuries, especially for the production of musical instruments. Unfortunately, it was nearly driven to extinction, and today it is a challenge to combat its illegal trade in Europe. This wood was one of the first to be prohibited in international trading due to its vulnerable state. This seed was donated to the Mário Lago settlement in Ribeirão Preto, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Araucaria angustifolia
Paraná pine
The Paraná pine is found in the Atlantic forest of the southern plateau, which covers a large area of southern Brazil. It is gigantic, reaching 50 meters in height, and it is critically endangered. The ‘Parque provincial de la Araucaria’(A Nature Reserve named after the pine), in the province of Misiones in Argentina, is dedicated to the preservation of the Alto do Paraná forest, one of the most threatened biomes on the planet. This threat is due to the expansion of agriculture in general, but also because it was the scene of the biggest armed dispute in Latin America, the War of the Triple Alliance. The Province of Misiones, originally home to the Guarani people, became the target of dispute over the boundaries of Nation States in formation, which followed the European model of government administration and agricultural development. The seeds, called ‘pinhão’ (pronunciation: ping-auwm), are notoriously consumed and dispersed by birds such as the blue jay. For the Xokleng indigenous people, the pinhão is a cultural symbol that led them to nomadism, and was crucial in their diplomatic relations with people of other ethnic groups. Today, they are pioneers in the preservation of Araucaria, in Santa Catarina.
Copdiferd ldngsdorffii
Diesel tree
This seed was collected in the city of Caxambu, in the south of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the state of São Paulo, Copaíba is listed as endangered, and preservation efforts take place “ex situ”, that is, outside its natural habitat, as well as within it. In a city in the State of Paraná, Brazil, one of the incentives for preservation has been tax discounts of urban properties that ensure the maintenance of these trees. For the Kuikuro indigenous people, Copaíba has a divine owner, who provides paint for fighters to put on their skin, and thus protect themselves. In fact, it is possible to extract an oil with healing properties from this tree’s trunk. More recently, this resin has also been tested as biofuel for cars.
Pterodon emarginatus
Sucupira branca
[pronunciation: Sue-coo-pee-ra Bran-kah; meaning: ‘White sucupira’]
The Sucupira tree is large and much sought after for its high quality wood. Which is perhaps why it is listed as endangered in the state of São Paulo. Its medicinal properties, such as its seed oil, include anti-inflammatory qualities and have been developed into pharmaceutical products. This seed, in particular, was acquired from a reforestation project in the Cerrado biome.
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