CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Luiza F. A. de Paula, Nara F. O. Mota & Lívia Echternacht
Dehydrated evergreen flowers (2012) by Lívia EchternarchtCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Why are they called everlasting? Do they never die?
Everlasting is the popular name given to various species of plants whose flowers, after being collected and dehydrated, can withstand a considerable time without losing their color or shape, hence the origin of the name “everlasting”.
Which plants are the everlastings?
The most common and best-known everlastings belong in particular to the plant families of the Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae.
Flora Brasiliensis: Vol. I, Part I, Fasc. See Urban Plate 4 (1906)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Where do they occur?
Everlastings are common in the Cerrado, a biome that comprises grassland, savanna, and forest formations. This plate from Flora Brasiliensis – a work resulting from the travels of the naturalists Spix and Martius in Brazil (1817-1820) – represents the Cerrado.
Everlastings in the Cerrado
A careful look at this image leads us to a species of everlasting from the Eriocaulaceae family.
Everlastings and canelas-de-ema
In the Cerrado, it is common to find everlastings co-occurring with canelas-de-ema, the popular name given to species of the Velloziaceae family, which are erect-stemmed herbs with few branches, the size of a tree.
Fields of Actinocephalus (Eriocaulaceae) (2012) by Lívia EchternarchtCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Everlastings in the campos rupestres
However, it is in the campos rupestres – ecosystems found on mountaintops and plateaus – that everlastings dominate. The Espinhaço, a set of mountains or range that extends through the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, is the center of diversity for everlastings.
First scientific descriptions
The work ‘Flora Brasiliensis’ provided many scientific descriptions of new species of everlastings. The image shows Paepalanthus chiquitensis, an Eriocaulaceae.
Many species of Eriocaulaceae were richly illustrated in the work Flora Brasiliensis. This group of plants certainly caught the attention of Martius, as can be seen in this excerpt from the book ‘Travels in Brazil’, when he describes the campos rupestres of Diamantina, Minas Gerais: “Among the hairy, green-gray grasses, which in large expanses cover the plains of this District, the Eriocaulaceae above all appear in large numbers with their umbels of small white flowers.”
Vol. III, Part I, Fasc. 33 Plate 50 (1863-07-10)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Eriocaulaceae
Species of the Eriocaulaceae family have white flowers, which are organized in an inflorescence called a head and are pollinated by the wind. They are generally perennial herbs, meaning they last for more than one seasonal cycle.
Flour flower
Paepalanthus, a very representative genus of the family, means “flour flower,” referring to the white inflorescences that usually shed their tiny white hairs, looking like flour.
The magnifica
The most sought-after genera of everlastings are Comanthera and Paepalanthus. The image shows Comanthera magnifica, an example of a micro-endemic species, with very restricted occurrence and under strong pressure from extractive collection.
Vol. III, Part I, Fasc. 15 Plate 22 (1855-09-15)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Xyridaceae
The Xyridaceae family is found in swampy and wet soils. The genus Xyris stands out in Brazil, and its species occur terrestrially in campos cerrados, campos rupestres, or aquatically.
Field of evergreen flowers (Xyridaceae) (2012) by Pedro L. VianaCRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
Field of Xyridaceae
The inflorescences of Xyris are spikes that have yellow flowers.
The little crown
Various species of Xyris are sold as “everlastings.” Xyris cipoensis is a very ornamental species: its inflorescence has a golden yellow color and its shape resembles a crown similar to that of the pineapple, so it is known as “golden pineapple” or “little crown”.
Cerrado fragmentation by Rui RezendeOriginal Source: https://www.decorarcomfoto.com.br/
Habitat loss
The Cerrado and the campos rupestres are rapidly being replaced by monocultures, highways, and urban agglomerations, or degraded by fire. As they have a very restricted occurrence, several everlastings are in danger of extinction due to the accelerated loss of their habitat.
Everlastings are extracted from nature or can be cultivated. The gatherers of the Serra do Espinhaço show that it is possible to make sustainable use of these plants. This centuries-old tradition of local communities has been recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a global agricultural heritage. There, the everlastings participate in a network of associations that connects the scientific and political, traditional and modern, academic and popular.
The plants are sold ‘in natura’ (by weight) or as handicrafts. Arrangements are made of flowers, bracelets, earrings, keychains, and general decorations. The handicrafts allow for greater appreciation of the work of artisans and plant species. Always alive, they make life more beautiful.
Research and writing: Luiza F. A. de Paula (Federal University of Minas Gerais / CRIA), Nara F. O. Mota & Lívia Echternacht (Federal University of Ouro Preto)
Assembly: Luiza F. A. de Paula
Review: João Renato Stehmann (Federal University of Minas Gerais), 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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