Biome
Plants of the Atlantic Forest biome
A humid biome of varied terrain and enormous diversity — and home to much of Brazil's experience with syntropic agriculture. The list runs from fast pioneers to climax timber, which leaves room to design complete successions. Each species' relation to the biome is on its profile.
284 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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balsa
Ochroma pyramidale
Secondary I High Mulch biomassFast-growing pioneer neotropical tree — reaches 20 m in 5 years. IPOEMA cites pau-de-balsa among fast-growing prune-tolerant species, alongside euc...
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basil
Ocimum basilicum
Placenta I Low No biomass productionAromatic annual or short-lived perennial Lamiaceae. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 (grown as a low-stratum species in beds). Attra...
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African basil
Ocimum gratissimum
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionShort-lived perennial Lamiaceae, cousin of common basil (distinct species). EcoAgri lists it in the medium stratum of the 'up to 3 years' bin. Arom...
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olive
Olea europaea
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionOlive, a long-lived evergreen tree of the Oleaceae family, exotic to Brazil and grown in temperate and subtropical regions, notably the Mantiqueira...
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oregano
Origanum vulgare
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionPerennial Mediterranean herb (20–60 cm), small aromatic leaves. In southeastern and southern Brazilian syntropic systems used as permanent cover be...
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rice
Oryza sativa
Placenta I High Mulch biomassWorld's most-cultivated annual cereal. The Bosque de Niebla Guidebook (Consortium Design 2019) places rice as a typical Placenta I species in the h...
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sweet passion fruit
Passiflora alata
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionBrazilian native vine distinct from sour passionfruit (P. edulis). Pyriform orange-yellow fruit with sweet, fragrant flesh eaten fresh — fruitier, ...
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passion fruit
Passiflora edulis
Placenta II High No biomass productionBrazilian-native woody fruiting climber. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 (grows over high-stratum structures). Fruits in ~9–12 mont...
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sweet granadilla
Passiflora ligularis
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionAndean species (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador). Altitude vine (1,000–2,500 m); orange-yellow fruit with translucent pulp, black seeds, sweet aromatic fla...
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giant granadilla
Passiflora quadrangularis
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionOne of the most vigorous Passiflora vines, with squared stem cross-section (origin of the scientific name). Huge fruit — 15–30 cm, up to 4 kg — wit...
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brazilwood
Paubrasilia echinata
Climax MediumNational tree of Brazil, endemic to the coastal Atlantic Forest. Slow-growing; climax-community species that develops best when planted under secon...
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yellow poinciana
Peltophorum dubium
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomassPioneer heliophyte legume with fast growth. 10–20 m, occasionally 40 m at maturity. Occurs in Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, transition zones and rip...
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Napier grass
Pennisetum purpureum
Placenta II Medium Mulch biomassPerennial African grass introduced to Brazil in 1920. Forms vigorous clumps reaching 3–5 m and is one of the main biomass-producing species in synt...
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Barbados gooseberry
Pereskia aculeata
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionAn atypical cactus with broad, non-succulent leaves and a spiny scrambling, shrubby habit, native to the Americas and common in southeastern and no...
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avocado
Persea americana
Secondary II High No biomass productionLong-lived perennial fruit tree. Pasini classifies it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 and explicitly cites it among Abundance-system species (high ...
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margarida avocado
Persea americana
Secondary II Emergent No biomass productionLate-ripening cultivar with very large fruit (700–1,500 g, up to 2 kg), pyriform, light yellow flesh of good quality. Tall tree (12–15 m). West-Ind...
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hass avocado
Persea americana
Secondary II High No biomass productionMexican-Guatemalan cultivar (~80% Mexican), floral type A. Small-to-medium fruit (180–300 g), pebbly skin that darkens at ripeness, creamy flesh wi...
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quintal avocado
Persea americana
Secondary II Emergent No biomass productionWest Indian Brazilian cultivar, mid-season ripening. Large fruit (>600 g, up to 1.2 kg), pyriform, with prized 'butter' flesh in the domestic marke...
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geada avocado
Persea americana
Secondary II High No biomass productionEarly-ripening West Indian cultivar (Jan–Feb). Elongated pyriform fruit, light green, ~710 g, yellowish flesh with adherent seed. Floral type B — a...
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parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionBiennial Apiaceae grown as an annual for its aromatic leaves. Pasini lists it in the low stratum of Tabela 3. Tolerates partial shade; consorts wel...
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lima bean
Phaseolus lunatus
Placenta I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual or short-lived perennial nitrogen-fixing legume, native to the Americas. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the 'up to 6 months' bin. C...
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common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual nitrogen-fixing legume, dietary staple in Brazil. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Planted in consortium with corn in the ...
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moso bamboo
Phyllostachys edulis
Secondary I Emergent Mulch biomassA running (spreading) bamboo native to China and Taiwan, the most cultivated species for timber and fiber in East Asia. It reaches up to 28 m tall ...
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black pepper
Piper nigrum
Secondary I Low No biomass productionWoody climber native to SW India, naturalized in the Brazilian Amazon. Embrapa records it among perennial crops in Amazonian SAFs: trained on live ...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What characterizes the Atlantic Forest biome?
Humid tropical forest that once covered Brazil's entire east coast. Less than 12% of original cover remains — restoring it is one of the central goals of Brazilian syntropic agriculture. High diversity of fruit, timber, and pioneer species adapted to a tropical-highland climate.
Which plants does the catalog suggest for the Atlantic Forest biome?
The catalog holds 284 species, among them balsa, basil, African basil. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.