Açaí: Revealed to Science by Martius
Learn how the tropical palm tree, known for its tasty fruits, was described by Martius.
CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Luiza F. A. de Paula
Flora Brasiliensis: Vol. I, Part I, Fasc. See Urban Plate 25 (1906)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Amazon as seen by Germans
On their travels in Brazil (1817-1820), the German naturalists Spix and Martius visited various biomes. Upon arriving in the Amazon, they were enchanted with the local biodiversity.
Cataloging species
While traveling, they recorded and collected various species but especially plants and animals, as Martius was a botanist and Spix was a zoologist.
Encountering açaí in the Amazon
It was during this Amazonian journey that the botanist Martius encountered açaí and other Brazilian palms. In his book ‘Travels in Brazil’ he described the abundance of these plants:
Vol. I, Part I, Fasc. See Urban Plate 1 (1906)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Encountering the palm trees
“Forests of the jauari spiny palm alternate with the isolated trunks of the slender açaí palm, and lend the landscape an appearance of thriving tropical nature.”
The jauari (Astrocaryum jauari) and açaí (Euterpe oleracea) are both palms from the Amazon region.
In this lithograph published in Flora Brasiliensis, a work that provided images of landscapes and plants recorded during Spix and Martius’ trip to Brazil, we can see – standing out among the tops of the other trees – the açaí and jauari palms.
Natural History of Palms
Back in Germany, between 1823 and 1850, Martius published the book Natural History of Palms: a work in three volumes. This work focused on palms (Arecaceae family), describing and illustrating several of them. In the second volume, he described the palms of Brazil.
A scientific description of açaí
Among the new palms described for science was the Euterpe oleracea – the famous açaí. The descriptions were in Latin, with meticulous morphological details of each part of the plant: leaves, stem, flowers, and fruits. This is how the açaí became internationally known.
Açaí behaviour
Beautiful illustrations also accompanied the descriptions. In this first picture of the açaí, you can see the plant's growth pattern, i.e. the way it lives as a mature plant.
Inflorescence, fruits, and leaves
Details of the inflorescence (formed by several flowers), fruits, and leaves were also illustrated.
Evolution of germination and growth
The work was so detailed that even the different phases of seed germination were recorded, up to the development of the young açaí plant. Longitudinal and cross sections of the stem were also illustrated.
It's worth remembering that açaí was already known and used by the indigenous people of the Amazon region before being described as a new species for science. In the book 'Travels in Brazil', Martius writes: “They call the juice, obtained from any of the fruits of the forest, caxiri (cajiri). It is especially abundantly extracted from the fruits of the açaí, patauá, pupunha, (...) palms. Especially appreciated by the Indians of Japurá is the juice of the fruits of the first two palms mentioned above (...)".
Tasty and nutritious fruit
To emphasize the flavor and nutritional potential of açaí juice, Martius adds:
“(...) it has a color and flavor not very different from chocolate and it is so nutritious that, by making more prolonged use of it, the Indians gain weight.”
Vol. III, Part II, Fasc. 86 Plate 107 (1882-05-01)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Flora Brasiliensis and açaí
After the Natural History of Palms, açaí was also included in the monumental work Flora Brasiliensis. Morphological descriptions and beautiful illustrations were once again included.
Martius’ legacy for palms
Martius’ study of palms was so dazzling that it impacted the history of botany. Hence the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt said: “For as long as palms are named and known, the name of Martius will be famous.”
Research and writing: Luiza F. A. de Paula (UFMG / CRIA)
Assembly: Luiza F. A. de Paula
Review: João Renato Stehmann (UFMG), Renato De Giovanni (CRIA)
References: Flora Brasiliensis (http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/opus), Travels in Brazil (https://www2.senado.leg.br/bdsf/handle/id/573991)
Additional information: http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/stories
Acknowledgments: All the authors of the photos and characters in the story
*Every effort has been made to credit the images, audio, and video and correctly recount the episodes narrated in the exhibitions. If you find errors and/or omissions, please email contato@cria.org.br
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