Martius in Campos Gerais

The Flora Brasiliensis is a landmark in global botany. Although started in 1840, its Volume 1 was published last, in 1906, featuring 59 illustrations of Brazilian landscapes. In this story, we will embark on a 'botanical journey' through one of them, highlighting its plants.

The Campos Gerais represent a unique landscape of the southern Brazilian highlands, characterized by a humid subtropical climate and undulating terrain. Natural grasslands mingle with patches of Araucaria forests, creating a mosaic of rich plant diversity.

In December 1817, the Bavarian naturalists Spix and Martius departed from Rio de Janeiro for São Paulo, where they were captivated by the Campos Gerais. With them was the Austrian painter Thomas Ender, who captured the landscape we see here in watercolor.

The tree that stands out most in this landscape is Araucaria angustifolia, a gymnosperm known as "Brazilian pine" or "Paraná pine". With straight trunks and candelabra-like crowns, its seeds, called "pinhões", nourish the fauna and are central to the local cultural heritage.

Thick clumps of Baccharis, with their small resinous leaves, stand next to the climbing stems of Cynophalla flexuosa, a white-flowered Capparaceae known as "limber caper" or "bay-leaved caper". Also prominent are the various species of grass.

Along the path, many "pineapples" (Ananas comosus) grow, a bromeliad whose juicy fruits offer sweet relief to travelers. However, harvest with caution: beyond the sharp spines, a small venomous snake often hides among the leaves.

Although the Campos Gerais preserve a mosaic of unique ecosystems, the expansion of agriculture and intensive grazing threaten local biodiversity. Protecting these areas is essential to maintaining the rich diversity of species that inspired the works of Martius.