Medicinal

Croton urucurana

Dragon's Blood

Croton urucurana is also known as Dragon's Blood because its latex is blood-red, and it is normally found in humid terrain and swamps. This reddish latex of its trunk has healing and antifungal medicinal properties, capable of stopping wounds from bleeding. In Pará, Brazil, the Xipaya people retain knowledge of the medicinal properties of this plant unanimously, especially among women. When considering the constant growth of the pharmaceutical sector, few communities are able to preserve this knowledge, passed on “orally, from generation to generation”, as has been done in the Xipaya Indigenous Land of Tukamã. This seed was donated to members of the Mário Lago Settlement, in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.

Enterolobium contortisiliquum

Pacara earpod tree

This species of Enterolobium contortisiliquum is from the Brazilian savanna and was acquired from a collective responsible for gathering and selling seeds native to this biome for preservation purposes. A protein present in this seed has the ability to inhibit the growth of tumors, which offers great potential for research into the behavior of cancer cells and possible cures. Its fruits are ear-shaped, which gives rise to one of its names, monkey's ear.

Moringa oleifera

Moringa

Moringa is a species of tree that is incredibly relevant to humans and the environment due to its medicinal properties and the fact that it is capable of purifying underground water reservoirs. Through its natural coagulating characteristics, it promotes water filtration by removing contaminants. Its origin is from India, south of the Himalayas, but today this tree is present in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Therefore, several cultures use this highly nutritious plant in their cuisine, especially in Africa and India, as oil and curry. In addition to cooking, this plant treats vitamin A deficiency, is antioxidant, antiviral, cardioprotective, liver protective, among several other medicinal properties. Known as 'kelor' in Indonesia, it is used locally in a spiritual way, to scare away or remove mystical agents from the body through baths and branches at the entrances of houses. This moringa seed was donated by a farmer from the Mário Lago Settlement in Ribeirão Preto, a municipality of São Paulo.

Hymenaea courbaril

Stinkingtoe (with pulp)

On this Stinkingtoe seed, there are still remnants of its pulp. Not everyone finds the odor of the pulp unpleasant, but many say the taste is better than the smell, hence the name. For the quilombola populations of the Brazilian savanna, the Hymenaea courbaril has a cultural significance to be preserved, especially in communities around Chapada dos Veadeiros, in Goiás. Beyond its consumption as food, this plant is used in various ways, but mainly as medicine, as cures for the flu and anemia. Quilombos were communities formed by enslaved Africans who ran away. They were highly organized, militant, autonomous, and posed a great threat to the Portuguese and Dutch authorities of the time. Today, there are more than a million Quilombolas still fighting for their right to territory throughout the country. This seed was collected in the city of São Paulo, from a beautiful century-old tree located at the ‘Sunset Square’ (Praça Pôr do Sol) in the neighborhood of Pinheiros.

Stinkingtoe

This seed was collected in the middle of the city of São Paulo, from a beautiful centenary tree that is located in the ‘sunset square’ (Praça Pôr do Sol) in the neighborhood of Pinheiros. From the fruit of this tree, traditional Xingu populations make a highly nutritious and protein-rich flour. Its bark resin can be used as varnish, fuel and incense, and its wood is coveted in the production of furniture and canoes. Not everyone finds the odor of its pulp unpleasant, but many do argue that it tastes better than it smells.

Tamarindus indica

Tamarind

The Tamarind is native to tropical Africa, and when brought to Brazil, it adapted particularly well in the Northeast and was absorbed into local cuisine in various sauces and sweets. The name Tamarind comes from Persian, meaning "date of India". In the Indian subcontinent, tamarind is used medicinally and spiritually. There is a famous tamarind tree in Gwalior, India, at the tomb of a renowned singer from the time of Emperor Akbar named Tansen. The tree's leaves are said to be small because classical singers ate the leaves to make their voices sweet, like Tansen's.

Cymbopogon densiflorus

Nagô lemongrass

Cymbopogon densiflorus originates from Africa, and has strong ties with the culture and religion of the African diaspora in Brazil. The name Nagô was given to enslaved black people of Yoruba origin. During population trafficking, several plant species were brought to Brazil, including oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), varieties of beans such as Mangalô, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), and nagô(lemon)grass, which is normally used for protection rituals, and as a medicine for inducing sleep and healing bone fractures. This plant also has anti-cancer and insect-repellent properties, which makes it incredibly useful for wide-ranging purposes.

Ricinus communis

Red castor bean

The red castor bean is increasingly used in agroforestry projects thanks to its rapid growth, allowing the development of more sensitive species under its protection. It is a variety that tolerates degraded soils, creating desirable conditions for the development of other species. From its root, a component with anti-inflammatory properties can be extracted, and for millennia this plant has been used medicinally by peoples in North Africa, India and Asia. Castor bean seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs from 4,000 years ago, and Cleopatra used castor bean oil as a beauty product.

Luehea divaricata

Açoita-cavalo

[pronunciation: ‘asoitah-cavahloo’; meaning: ‘whips horse’] Luehea divaricata is a tree native to South America, typical of the Brazilian savanna and caatinga. Its popular name "açoita-cavalo" comes from the fact that its branches are so flexible that they can be used as a whip. In folk medicine, this plant has been used for its antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and immunostimulant properties. In more recent scientific studies, these properties have been confirmed, in addition to revealing that a new tormentic acid can be extracted from the leaves. This acid belongs to a class of chemical compounds that have fantastic medicinal abilities for humans, including cancer-fighting potential. Isolating these chemical components from plants is in the interest of the pharmaceutical industry, but credit must be given where it is due. This component plays a key role in defending this plant against pests – it is a biotic technology. Native peoples developed this technology for the benefit of human beings, knowledge that is particularly present in the epistemology of various ethnic groups in Paraná and Santa Catarina states in Brazil.

Cannabis sp.

Hemp

As of 2023, this seed is considered illegal in most countries, and this plant's dried parts are the most consumed illegal drug in the world. But extrajudicial recreation is not its only use. The stems of the hemp plant consist of remarkably durable fibers, which have a wide range of industrial uses, from fabrics to construction materials. It is also one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. Ancient civilizations across the millennia and across the planet have been known to cultivate and consume this plant spiritually. One of the earliest documentations of it stems from nearly 3 thousand years ago in Chinese medicinal records, Hindu legends, as well as Buddhist, Germanic and Sufi literature.

Achyrocline satureioides

Macela

The process of photographing this seed was one of the most complex, due to its multiple layers. This plant grows in “sandy or stony soils”, is native to South America and the official medicinal plant symbolic of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Its medicinal properties are described as purifying, not only as possessing antiviral and antibacterial properties, but also as having the ability to treat neurodegeneration.

Stryphnodendron adstringens

Stryphnodendron adstringens

The Stryphnodendron adstringens is endemic to Brazil, specifically the Brazilian cerrado (or savanna). The bark and leaves of this tree can be processed in different ways and used as medicine for various health issues. The tea of the bark can be consumed to treat tissue injuries, relieving infections and inflammations. The soap containing the bark extract has remarkable antibacterial properties. The bark powder can be used to make antidiuretic tea. Its ointment heals wounds. And so on. Forest species such as the Stryphnodendron adstringens are important for guaranteeing medical treatments in regions where the state’s public health system does not operate effectively.

Poincianella pluviosa

Caesalpinia pluviosa

The Caesalpinia pluviosa is a tree native to the tropics of the Americas with lush yellow flowers, loved by butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. In urban contexts, this tree is immensely useful for the protection and survival of bees. Red flowers from the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, the Peacock Flower, were described by a German botanical illustrator in the early 18th century as medicinal for the people enslaved by the Dutch in Suriname. Indigenous and African women in Suriname used this flower as an abortifacient, as they did not want their children to be born into the paradigm of colonial exploitation.