Stratum
Plants of the medium stratum
Half-light under the canopy, in the 50–60% cover range: the medium stratum concentrates moderate-sized fruit trees. Many take full sun in the system's youth, but filtered light is where they settle.
157 species in the catalog · Refine this list in the catalog
-
dragon's blood tree
Croton urucurana
Secondary I Medium Mulch biomassHeliophyte pioneer tree typical of riparian forests and humid terrain across the Amazon, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest. Reaches 7–14 m and produces ...
-
quince
Cydonia oblonga
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionQuince, a small deciduous fruit tree of the Rosaceae family, exotic to Brazil and suited to temperate-climate regions. It needs a cool period (temp...
-
yellow yam
Dioscorea cayennensis
Placenta II Medium No biomass productionTuber-bearing climber cultivated in the medium stratum of syntropic systems. Pasini lists yam in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 and in the '1 to 3 ...
-
persimmon
Diospyros kaki
Secondary II High No biomass productionAsian subtropical fruit tree, popular in southern and southeastern Brazil. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the 'up to 50 years' bin. Tolera...
-
loquat
Eriobotrya japonica
Secondary II High No biomass productionAsian fruit tree naturalized in highland regions of Brazil. EcoAgri lists it in the high stratum of the 'up to 50 years' bin. Flowers in winter, fr...
-
cockspur coral tree
Erythrina crista-galli
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA deciduous, sun-loving leguminous small tree or tree up to 10-15 m, native to southern Brazil and the rest of southern South America. It inhabits ...
-
mulungu
Erythrina velutina
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerBrazilian-native nitrogen-fixing tree legume; propagates easily by cuttings and produces abundant fertilizer biomass. Cited by Pasini among tree-fo...
-
grumichama
Eugenia brasiliensis
Climax Medium No biomass productionAtlantic Forest native fruit tree, with small purple fruits resembling cherries. EcoAgri lists it in the medium stratum of the '> 50 years' bin. Mo...
-
cagaita
Eugenia dysenterica
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionNative Cerrado fruit tree (4–10 m), rounded canopy. Flowers in August–September at peak drought before the rains — white blooms covering bare branc...
-
uvaia
Eugenia pyriformis
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionAtlantic Forest native, listed by Pasini in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Aromatic yellow fruit similar to a small guava. Tolerant of subtropical...
-
araza
Eugenia stipitata
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionAmazonian native fruit with very acidic, aromatic orange-yellow pulp (high vitamin C), excellent for juices, ice creams, and jams. EcoAgri lists it...
-
Surinam cherry
Eugenia uniflora
Secondary I Medium No biomass productionSmall native fruit tree of the Atlantic Forest. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 4 (3–10 year phase). Cherry-red bittersweet fruit, ...
-
fig
Ficus carica
Secondary II High No biomass productionMediterranean fruit tree naturalized in Brazil. EcoAgri marks it as an edge species in the '> 50 years' bin (small habit, needs full sun). High str...
-
flemingia
Flemingia macrophylla
Placenta II Low Mulch biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA perennial, woody, deep-rooted leguminous shrub up to 2.5 m tall, native to the humid tropics of Asia. It fixes nitrogen and is widely used in con...
-
achacha
Garcinia humilis
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionAmazonian fruit tree of Bolivian origin, related to bacuri and mangosteen. Medium small tree (4–8 m), dense columnar canopy, glossy leaves. Orange ...
-
mangosteen
Garcinia mangostana
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionAsian tropical fruit introduced to Brazil, known as the 'queen of fruits' for the flavor of its white pulp. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum o...
-
gliricidia
Gliricidia sepium
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerNitrogen-fixing legume that tolerates drastic pruning and produces fast-decomposing fertilizer biomass. Commonly used as shade for coffee and cocoa...
-
soybean
Glycine max
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual nitrogen-fixing legume (associates with Bradyrhizobium japonicum) — tall varieties Sambaíba and Tracajá were tested by Rebello & Sakamoto (2...
-
mangaba
Hancornia speciosa
Secondary II MediumEvergreen to semi-deciduous tree 2–10 m tall, characteristic of Brazilian Cerrado and coastal tablelands. Considered one of Brazil's priority 'Plan...
-
roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Placenta II Medium Mulch biomassAn annual or short-lived subshrub in the Malvaceae, native to Africa and cultivated throughout the tropics. The fleshy red calyces are used to make...
-
Cerrado jatobá
Hymenaea stigonocarpa
Climax HighDeciduous leguminous tree 5–20 m tall, typical of open cerrado and campo-cerrado on well-drained soils. Unlike most Fabaceae, it does not form N-fi...
-
yerba mate
Ilex paraguariensis
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionTree native to highland Atlantic Forest and southern Brazilian grasslands, listed by IPOEMA among major Brazilian perennial crops in agroforestry c...
-
ice cream bean
Inga edulis
Secondary I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerEssential nitrogen fixer in syntropic systems. Coppices readily after drastic pruning and produces large volumes of fertilizer biomass.
-
river inga
Inga vera
Secondary I Medium Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerA pioneer leguminous tree native to the Neotropics, 5-10 m tall, with a broad low crown, frequent in secondary formations of humid or swampy soil, ...
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the medium stratum?
Sub-canopy; tolerate more shade than high stratum.
Which plants occupy the medium stratum?
The catalog holds 157 species, among them dragon's blood tree, quince, yellow yam. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.