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
-
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...
-
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...
-
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 ...
-
guabiju
Myrcianthes pungens
Secondary II High Mulch biomassNative tree of the Pampa, southern Atlantic Forest, and southern Minas Gerais. 8–15 m, dense canopy. Dark-red to purple fruit, sweet delicately fla...
-
camu camu
Myrciaria dubia
Placenta II Low No biomass productionAmazonian small tree (2–6 m) of floodable areas — in native habitat survives 4–5 months submerged. Small dark-red fruits with the highest known nat...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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, ...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
jabuticaba
Plinia cauliflora
Secondary II Low No biomass productionAtlantic Forest native characterized by cauliflory (fruits on the trunk). Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3 and in the 20–50 year / +...
-
cambucá
Plinia edulis
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionAtlantic-Forest-endemic myrtle of the medium stratum. Rebello cites cambucá as an example of syntropic coexistence with cupuaçu in Casimiro de Abre...
-
yellow jaboticaba
Plinia glomerata
Secondary II Medium No biomass productionAtlantic Forest native, rarely seen outside collections. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Yellow fruit covered in fine edible hai...
-
abiu
Pouteria caimito
Secondary II High No biomass productionAmazonian fruit tree with sweet, milky yellow pulp. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3. Tolerates partial shade well in early years; o...
❓ 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 banana, thap maeo banana, urundeuva. Each profile shows stratum, succession stage, and the management data, with sources cited.