Amazon plants

Latin America can boast of having an immense variety of plant species. The climate that gives it heat, the different altitudes, and of course its geographical location allow there to be forests as important to the world as that of the Amazon. In fact, it is estimated that there are about 30 thousand species, of the 100 thousand that exist in all of Latin America.

But what are the Amazon plants called? Well, since it is impossible to talk about all of them, we are going to present you some of the most curious and / or beautiful.

Classification of the flora of the Amazon

Before starting, it is important that you know that depending on the area, there are some plants or others. Depending on the altitude, the land and its specific climate, the Amazonian flora is classified as follows:

• Mainland forests: between 140 and 280 hectare species are concentrated in them, the majority of gigantic trees, such as mahogany or chestnut from Pará, which prevent much of the sunlight from reaching the ground. What's more, in certain areas only 5% of the total reaches, which means that the smallest plants have to manage if they want to survive.
• Swamp forest: They are also called the igapós forests. These are located near the rivers, and they are impressive because during the rainy season the water can reach the treetops. The rest of the year the land is always flooded. This is where we can see plants like victoria amazonica.
• Vega vegetation: This region is located at an intermediate point between the mainland and swamp forests. It is estimated that in each hectare there are about a hundred species of plants, such as Cocos nucifera or Hevea.

What is the flora of the Amazon region?

Some of those that inhabit the Amazon are:

Chelyocarpus ulei

This is a palm tree with a single slender stem - barely 4 to 7 centimeters thick - that lives in the western Amazon, in the shade of other plants larger than it. Its leaves are costapalmate, but they are very divided, which makes it a most curious species. Its height varies, being able to measure a minimum of 1 meter and a maximum of 8 meters.

garcinia macrophylla

In its places of origin it is known as cozoiba, ranquillo, or wild jorco among other names. It is an evergreen tree that lives in the low jungle (up to 400 meters of altitude), and that it can reach up to 18 meters in height. The leaves are quite large, between 15 to 22 centimeters, elliptical in shape and glabrous. The flowers are white or cream-colored, and it produces orange berries that are fit for human consumption.

heliconia episcopalis

This is a variety of heliconia that lives in the humid Amazon rainforest. It is a herbaceous plant that reaches up to 2 meters high. Its leaves are simple, large, and petiolate. These have a visible midrib, as it is whitish-green in color. The flowers are grouped in reddish inflorescences.

hevea benthamiana

La hevea It is a native tree of the Amazon Basin and Orinoco that it can measure up to 45 meters if it is isolated, but in the forest the normal thing is that it does not exceed 20 meters. The leaves are oblong-ovate, 9-12 centimeters long by 4-5 centimeters wide. It produces female flowers and male flowers in the same specimen, the former being larger than the others.

Psychotria poeppigiana

It is a small shrub that measures between 1,5 to 2 meters in height, originally from the Amazon but is also found in Mexico. It develops leaves about 24 centimeters long by 9,5 centimeters wide, and they are simple, green in color. The flowers are composed of red bracts - false petals - and once they are pollinated they produce blue or purple fruits.

Amazonian Terminalia

La Amazonian Terminalia It is a tree that is found in almost all of Latin America, specifically in its tropical forests. Its maximum height reaches up to 70 meters, and its trunk grows straight, being able to measure up to 3 meters in diameter. Its leaves are green, lustrous, and simple, with a size of about 10 centimeters long. It flowers early, between the months of February and April, and its fruits ripen a few months later.

victoria amazonica

La victoria amazonica: Royal victory as it is also called, it is a floating aquatic plant that lives in the Amazon river. Its leaves are circular and measure up to 1 meter in diameter. The flowers are up to 40 centimeters in diameter, and open at dusk. At that time they will be white and feminine, but the next night they will be pink and masculine. This is due to the fact that when they are opened for the first time only the stigma (female reproductive organ) is mature, which is why it is when it receives pollen; but the next day the anthers (male organ) will have finished maturing and will be able to produce pollen that will be used to fertilize other flowers.

Which of these Amazon plants did you like the most?