An Alien Universe of Plants
This list of plants of the Amazon is, of course, not exhaustive. The part of the Amazon forest where our cruises explore has one of the most diverse collections of plant life on earth - in some areas there are over 600 kinds of trees in a single hectare (2. 5 acres)! The list does have many of the plants that we are likely to see on one of our cruises.
When most of us arrive in the Amazon for the first time we cannot avoid having a preference for mammals (especially monkeys). But over time all of us develop a fascination with the bizarre plant life found in this extraordinary place.
There are trees that walk, plants that aggressively poison neighboring competing plants, trees that produce food and shelter for ant colonies, seeds that shoot into the air like rockets, seeds that are waiting to be carried off into the forest by agoutis, and flowers some that bloom only once per year, at night, and are pollinated by bats. There are countless thousands of strange stories of plant adaptations. The Amazon is truly and alien universe of plants!
Plant Family Name |
Botanical Name |
English Common Name |
Portuguese Common Name |
| Annonaceae | Guatteria recurvisepala | Envira-bobô | |
| Unonopsis guatterioides | |||
| Myristicaceae | Virola calophylla | Wild nutmeg | Ucuuba |
| Iryanthera uleii | Dead-bark | ||
| Osteophloeum platyspermum | Ucuuba-amarela | ||
| Lauraceae | Mezilaurus itauba | Itaúba | |
| Persea americana | Avocado | Abacate | |
| Aniba canella | Casca preciosa | ||
| Aniba roseadora | Pau rosa | ||
| Ocotea rubra | Louro-gamela | ||
| Piperaceae | Peperomia macrostachya | Ant-garden | |
| Nymphaeaceae | Victoria amazonica | Amazon-lily | Victoria-regia |
| Menispermaceae | |||
| Ulmaceae | Trema micrantha | Trema, Periquitinho | |
| Moraceae | Clarisia racemosa | Guariúba | |
| Naucleopsis caloneura | Miratinga, Pau pica | ||
| Brosimim parinarioides | Amapá | ||
| Cecropiaceae | Cecropia purpurascens | Purple cecropia | Imbaúba roxa |
| Cecropia sciadophylla | Cecropia | Imbaúba-torém | |
| Phytolaccaceae | Phytolacca rivinoides | Pokeweed | Caruru-bravo, Bredo-roxo |
| Cactaceae | Epiphyllum phyllanthus | Cactus | |
| Polygonaceae | Coccoloba spp. | Water-grape? | |
| Symeria paniculata | Carauaçuzeiro | ||
| Dilleniaceae | Tetracera willdenowiana | Water-vine | Cipó d'agua |
| Pinzona coriaceae | Fire-vine | Cipó-de-fôgo | |
| Caryocaraceae | Caryocar villosum | Piquiá | |
| Caryocar glabrum | Piquiarana | ||
| Margraviaceae | Marcgravia | ||
| Quiinaceae | |||
| Clusiaceae | Vismia cayennensis | Lacre-branco | |
| Vismia guianensis | Lacre-vermelho | ||
| Symphonia globulifera | Ananí used for cerol? | ||
| Elaeocarpaceae | |||
| Sterculiaceae | Sterculia frondosa | Tacacá | |
| Waltheria indica | |||
| Theobroma grandiflorum | Cupuassu /Cupuí | ||
| Bombacaceae | Pseudobombax munguba | Munguba | Munguuba |
| Scleronema micrantha | Cardeiro | ||
| Ceiba pentandra | Kapok | Sumaúma | |
| Lecythidaceae | Bertholettia excelsa | Brazil nut | Castanha-do-pará |
| Corythophora alta | Ripeiro-vermelho | ||
| Corythophora rimosa | Castanha-jacaré | ||
| Couroupita guianensis | Cannonball-tree | Castanha-de-macaco | |
| Bixaceae | Bixa orellana | Urucum, Colorau | |
| Violaceae | |||
| Turneraceae | |||
| Passifloraceae | Passiflora coccinea | Red-passion-flower | Maracujá-poranga |
| Caricaceae | Carica papaya | Papaya | Mamão |
| Cucurbitaceae | Gurania bignoniacea | Solitary-flowers | |
| Gurania robusta | Big-leaves | ||
| Gurania insolita | Flower-clusters | ||
| Salicaceae | Salix humboldtiana | Willow | |
| Sapotaceae | Microphilis guianenses | Rosada | |
| Manilkara huberi | Maçaranduba | ||
| Ebenaceae | |||
| Chrysobalanaceae | Couepia longipendula | Castanha-de-galinha | |
| Hirtella myrmecophila | |||
| Rhabdodendraceae | |||
| Leguminoseae | Abarema jupunba | ||
| Bauhinia guianensis | Monkey ladder | Escada-de-jabotí | |
| Balizia pedicellaris | |||
| Bocoa viridiflora | |||
| Boca alterna | |||
| Cassia rubriflora | |||
| Crudia amazonica | Dog ear | Orelha-de-cachorro | |
| Clitoria amazonum | Clitoris-flower | Fava-brava | |
| Clitoria racemosa | Palheteira | ||
| Calliandra surinamensis | Balão-chinês | ||
| Cedrelinga catenaeformis | Cedrorana | ||
| Cynometra longicuspis | Jutaí | ||
| Desmodium ascendans | Carrapicho | ||
| Dinizia excelsa | Angelim-pedra | ||
| Dipteryx odorata | Cumarú de cheiro | ||
| Dipteryx magnifica | Cumarú -ferro | ||
| Dipteryx polyphylla | Cumarurana | ||
| Eperua glabriflora | Muirapiranga | ||
| Hymenea reticulata | Jatobá | ||
| Hymenea parviflora | Jutaí | ||
| Macrolobium acaciifolium | Arapari | ||
| Martiodendron parviflorum | |||
| Mimosa guilandinae | Rabo de cameleão | ||
| Mimosa pudica | Sensitive plant | ||
| Mimosa sensitiva | Malícia | ||
| Mimosa guilandinae | |||
| Monopteryx inpae | Ormosia | Tento | |
| Paramaechaerium ormosioides | Mutuxí | ||
| Parkia pendula | Visgueiro | ||
| Parkia multijuga | Faveira-benguê | ||
| (clear resin) | |||
| Parkia nitida | |||
| Parkia panurensis | |||
| Parkia discolor | (green-pod-stripe) | ||
| Peltogyne paniculata | Monkey-slip | Escorrega-macaco | |
| Pentaclethra macroloba | Paracaxi | ||
| Piptadenia suaveolens | Faveiroa-folha-fina | ||
| Peltogyne paniculata | Escorrega macaco | ||
| Sclerolobium melanocarpum | |||
| Sclerolobium amplifolia | Cabbage-stipules | ||
| False-lupine | Stylosanthes viscosa | ||
| Rhynchosia phaseoloides | Tento-pequeno | ||
| Swartzia reticulata | Pitaica | ||
| Swartzia ingifolia | Carrapatinho | ||
| Swartzia polyphylla | Arabá | ||
| Stryphnodendron guianensis | Faveira-camuzé | ||
| Stryphnodendron pulcherrimum | Faveira-camuzé | ||
| Tachigalia myrmecophila | Tachí-pitomba | ||
| Zygia racemosa | Angelim-rajado | ||
| Proteaceae | Roupala montana | ||
| Lythraceae | |||
| Myrtaceae | Psidium guajava | Guava | Goiaba, Araçá-goiaba |
| Melastomataceae | Maieta guianensis | Buxixu-de-formiga | |
| Tococa bullifera | Buxixu-de-formiga | ||
| Bellucia grossularioides | Goiaba-de-anta-branca | ||
| Combretaceae | Buchenavia spp. | Tanimbuca | |
| Terminalia catappa | |||
| Olacaceae | Minquartia guianensis | Acariquara-roxa | |
| Psychopetalum olacoides | Muirapuama | ||
| Loranthaceae | Phoradendron | Mistletoes | Erva-de-passarinho |
| Celastraceae | Maytenus guianensis | Xixuásca | |
| Goupia glabra | Cupiúba | ||
| Hippocrateaceae | |||
| Icacinaceae | Poraqueiba sericea | Mari | |
| Euphorbiaceae | Micrandropsis scleroxylon | Acapurí | |
| Croton lanjouwensis | Dima | ||
| Manihot esculenta | Manioc | Mandioca | |
| Hevea brasiliensis | Rubber-tree | Seringa | |
| Rhamnaceae | Ampelozizyphus amazonicus | Beer vine | Saracura-mirá, cervejeira |
| Humiriaceae | Duckesia verrucosa | Uxí-corôa | |
| Endopleura uchi | Uxí-liso | ||
| Malpighiaceae | |||
| Vochysiaceae | |||
| Sapindaceae | Paullinia cupana | Guaraná | |
| Talisia esculenta | Pitomba | ||
| Bursuraceae | Tetragastris panamensis | Breu-preto | |
| Tetragastris altíssima | Breu-manga | ||
| Hemicrepidospermum rhoifolium | Breu-branco | ||
| Protium apiculatum | Breu-vermelho | ||
| Anacardiaceae | Anacardium spruceanum | Cashew | Cajuí |
| Anacardium occidentale | Cashew | Cajú | |
| Simarubaceae | Simaba cedron | Serve-p'ra-tudo | |
| Meliaceae | Carapa guianensis | Andiroba | |
| Rutaceae | Citrus aurantium | Orange | Laranja |
| Citrus aurantiifolium | Lime | Limão | |
| Oxalidaceae | Averrhoa carambola | Carambola | |
| Araliaceae | |||
| Gentianaceae | Voyria tenella | White-saprophyte | |
| Apocynaceae | Geissospermum argenteum | Acariquara branca | |
| Aspidosperma carapanauba | Carapanauba | ||
| Duckeodendraceae | Duckeodendron cestroides | Monkey's brush | Pincel de macaco |
| Solanaceae | Solanum rugosum | White-flower | Amor-de-cunhã, Cajusara |
| Solanum schlechtendalium | |||
| Solanum crinitum | Purple-flower | ||
| Convolvulaceae | |||
| Boraginaceae | Cordia nodosa | Grão-de-galo, Caramurizinho | |
| Heliotropum indicum | Fedegoso, Rabo-de-Galo | ||
| Verbenaceae | Petrea bractea | Viuvinha | |
| Amazonia campestris | |||
| Lamiaceae | |||
| Schrophulariaceae | |||
| Gesneriaceae | Codonanthes calcarata | Ant-garden plant | |
| Acanthaceae | |||
| Bignoniaceae | Pleunaton albiflora | Cipó quadrado | |
| Tynanthus gondotiano | Clove-vine | Cipó cravo | |
| Tripinnate | Memora | ||
| Mendonciaceae | |||
| Lentibulariaceae | |||
| Rubiaceae | Genipapa americana | Genipapo | |
| Calycophyllum spruceanum | Mulateiro-da-várzea | ||
| Borreria verticilata | Vassoura-de-botão | ||
| Asteraceae | Spilanthes acmella | (used in Tacacá) | Jambu |
| Arecaceae | Astrocaryum jauari | Jauarí | |
| Astrocaryum sociale | Marajá | ||
| Ateleia attaleoides | Palha branca | ||
| Mauritia flexuosa | Burití | ||
| Mauritiella | Buritirana | ||
| Maximiliana martiana | Inajá | ||
| Oenocarpus bataua | Patauá | ||
| Desmoncus macrocanthos | Palm vine | Jaçitara | |
| Euterpe precatoria | Assaí da mata | ||
| Astrocaryum aculeatum | Tucumã | ||
| Bactris gassipaes | Pupunha | ||
| Socrotea exorrhizae | Paxiubão | ||
| Iriartella setigera | Paxiubinha | ||
| Cyclanthaceae | |||
| Araceae | Heteropsis aff. spruceana | Basket vine | Cipó-titíca |
| Dieffenbachia parvifolia | Aninga | ||
| Lemnaceae | |||
| Rapateaceae | |||
| Poaceae | Andropogon nardus | Capím-santo | |
| Coix lacryma-jobi | Capím-de-nossa-senhora | ||
| Cyperaceae | Scleria secans | Titiríca | |
| Bromeliaceae | Ananas comosus | Pineapple | Abacaxí |
| Pitcairnea sprucei | (Petioles) | Pacavirinha | |
| Strelitziaceae | Phenakospermum guyanense | Bird-of-paradise | Bananeira-brava |
| Heliconiaceae | Heliconia psittacorum | Red-heliconia | Bico-de-tucan |
| Heliconia acuminata | Yellow-heliconia | Bico-de-tucano | |
| Musaceae | |||
| Zingiberaceae | Renealmia floribunda | Wild-ginger | |
| Costaceae | |||
| Marantaceae | Ischnosiphon spp. | Arumã | |
| Pontederiaceae | Eichornia crassipes | Aguapé | |
| Smilaceae | Smilax sp. | Green-brier | |
| Orchidaceae | Vanilla pompona | String orchid | Baunilha |
| Gnetaceae | Gnetum leyoldii | Ituá | |
| Ficus | Strangler fig | Apuí, Mata-pau | |
| Clusia or Ficus | Apuí, Mata-pau | ||
| Hymenophyllaceae | Hymenophylla | Virgin-fern | |
| Glycheniaceae | Glichenia | Roadside | |
| Selaginellaceae | Trichularia |