Biome
Plants of the Cerrado biome
A marked dry season over deep, acidic soils: in the Cerrado, guild design starts with water — plant at the onset of the rains, mulch generously, and pick species that cross the dry winter without irrigation. Many biome natives produce well in syntropic systems, alongside well-established suitable species.
204 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
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mango
Mangifera indica
Secondary II High No biomass productionLong-lived tropical fruit tree. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 and in the '20 to 50 years' phase of Tabela 4 (high stratum). A key...
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cassava
Manihot esculenta
Placenta II High Mulch biomassPlacenta II tuber crop widely cultivated across Amazonia and Brazil. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 and as a species of the '1 to ...
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bitter cassava
Manihot esculenta
Placenta II Low Fertilizer biomassCultivar group of Manihot esculenta with high cyanogenic glycoside content (>100 mg HCN/kg fresh root). Unsafe for direct consumption — requires ro...
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moriche palm
Mauritia flexuosa
Climax Emergent No biomass productionGiant palm of Cerrado wetlands (veredas) and Amazonian floodplains. Pasini lists it in the emergent stratum of Tabela 3. A water indicator: forms p...
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Mombaça grass
Megathyrsus maximus
Placenta II Low Mulch biomassHighly productive forage grass producing large amounts of cover biomass. Central in large-scale syntropic experiments (Rebello & Sakamoto 2019) — c...
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lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
Placenta I Low No biomass productionPerennial herb (40–80 cm), light-green strongly lemon-scented leaves. Tolerates partial shade — fills shaded niches where rosemary and thyme don't ...
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spearmint
Mentha spicata
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionStrongly aromatic perennial Lamiaceae that spreads vigorously by stolons. Pasini lists it in the low stratum of Tabela 3. Tolerates partial shade; ...
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sabia tree
Mimosa caesalpiniifolia
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNative legume of the Caatinga and northeastern Atlantic Forest. Medium tree (4–10 m), sparse spiny canopy. Nitrogen-fixer — central in degraded-soi...
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jurema preta
Mimosa tenuiflora
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNative legume of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. Small-to-medium tree (4–8 m), fine leaves, fissured grey bark. Nitrogen-fixer, rapid recolonizer...
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holythorn
Monteverdia ilicifolia
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionAn evergreen shrub or small tree of the Celastraceae family, native to southern and southeastern Brazil, with leathery, spiny-margined holly-like l...
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moringa
Moringa oleifera
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomassMulti-purpose, extremely fast-growing Indo-African tree. The Bosque de Niebla Guidebook lists moringa among anchor species of the high stratum / Se...
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black mulberry
Morus nigra
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomassFast-growing fruit tree, tolerates drastic pruning well and coppices readily — ideal as a nurse plant in syntropic systems. Pasini lists it in the ...
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velvet bean
Mucuna pruriens
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual climbing legume that fixes nitrogen (~180–220 kg N/ha) and produces dense cover biomass. Suppresses weeds, decompacts the soil, and is one o...
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dwarf cavendish banana
Musa acuminata
Placenta II Medium Mulch biomassCavendish AAA dwarf cultivar (1.8–2.5 m). Dessert-banana market staple. Resistant to Panama disease race 1 but susceptible to Yellow Sigatoka. In s...
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giant cavendish banana
Musa acuminata
Placenta II High Mulch biomassCavendish AAA tall cultivar (3–4 m); the dominant Brazilian export variety. Heavier bunch than Nanica (30–40 kg).
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thap maeo banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassAAB cultivar of Thai origin recommended by Embrapa for regions with high Black/Yellow Sigatoka pressure. Tall (4–5 m), bunch 18–25 kg. Good fit for...
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dwarf pome banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassDwarf mutation of Prata (AAB), 2.5–3.5 m. Together with Prata and Pacovan accounts for ~60% of Brazilian banana area. Per Embrapa, a 'watershed' cu...
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silk banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassAAB Silk subgroup, medium-tall (3–4 m). Sweet flavor with distinctive aroma, premium market price. Highly susceptible to Panama disease (Fusarium o...
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plantain
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassAAB Plantain subgroup — cooking banana, tall to emergent (5–7 m), bunch 15–25 kg with few large starchy fingers. Staple food across Northern and No...
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banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassBanana is a fast-growing pioneer species valued for cover biomass, edible fruit, and a structuring role in syntropic rows. Grows in any moist, well...
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pacovan banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassAAB tall cultivar (5–6 m), large bunch (20–30 kg). Major Northeastern variety with better Yellow Sigatoka tolerance than Prata. Together with Prata...
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pome banana
Musa × paradisiaca
Placenta II High Mulch biomassAAB Pome subgroup, tall (5–7 m), bunch 12–18 kg. Slightly tart flavor prized in the Brazilian domestic market. Before Prata-Anã it dominated the so...
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urundeuva
Myracrodruon urundeuva
Climax HighTree with extremely dense, durable hardwood; once dominant in the Caatinga but now threatened by overexploitation. Occurs in Caatinga, Cerrado and ...
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watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAquatic or semi-aquatic leafy green of European origin, naturalized in Brazil. Pasini lists it in the low stratum of Tabela 3. Grows in moist soils...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What characterizes the Cerrado biome?
Tropical savanna of central Brazil — the most biodiverse savanna on Earth. Pronounced dry season (4–6 months), deep acidic soils, fire integrated into species dynamics. Cerrado species typically have deep roots, thick bark, and tolerance to fire and drought — valuable traits for systems in seasonal climates.
Which plants does the catalog suggest for the Cerrado biome?
The catalog holds 204 species, among them mango, cassava, bitter cassava. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.