- The 6 main plants of Tumbes
- 1- Guayacán
- 2- Cow stick
- 3- Palo santo
- 4- Porotillo
- 5- Ceibo
- 6- Guachapelí
- References
The flora of Tumbes is represented by trees such as guayacán, palo de vaca, palo santo, porotillo, ceibo, and guachapelí. The rich flora of this department has numerous species of trees.
The trees of Tumbes make up a typology of fifteen genera, unlike other coastal departments in Peru.
Tumbes is located in the northeast of Peru, 30 kilometers from the border with Ecuador, and has numerous mangroves. Its high temperatures all year round are around 30 ° C, with a humidity of 70%.
The 6 main plants of Tumbes
1- Guayacán
This native tree of tropical America is characterized by its slow and evergreen growth, its height of almost twenty meters, its hard wood and leafiness, and its beautiful purple flowering.
It has been widely used by the indigenous medicinal tradition to cure diseases such as syphilis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and rheumatism.
2- Cow stick
It is also called an ox leg and belongs to the Fabaceae family. It can reach seven meters and has a white bloom similar to orchids.
Its wood is used to make furniture and is called fake mahogany. Regarding its uses in natural medicine, it is registered as an excellent diuretic, healing and antiseptic.
3- Palo santo
Its scientific name is bursera graveelens. Its characteristics stand out for its porous wood and strong aroma.
Its wood was widely used for Amerindian religious rites. Currently its wood is used for the manufacture of incense.
4- Porotillo
The porotillo, or red pepillo, adapts easily to dry or very hot ecosystems. Its species is within the legume denomination.
It can reach 12 meters in height. Its flowering has fleshy red and orange petals, and its branches tend to have thorns.
According to indigenous traditions, the bark of this plant is beneficial to eradicate ailments such as seizures, coughs and nervous problems.
5- Ceibo
It is also known as a coral tree or bucare. Its scientific name is erythirina crista galli. This tree belongs to the faboideae family and can measure up to ten meters.
It tolerates very well soils that tend to flood easily and produces woolly fruits. Due to its toxicity, there is no medicinal use for this tree, but its spread has increased due to its beauty as an ornamental object.
6- Guachapelí
The guachapelí or samanea saman is a tree at least 20 meters high. Like almost all the trees present in the department of Tumbes, it belongs to the fabaceae family.
Its fruits appear as dark pods and legumes, and its flowering is pink and appears at the end of the branches.
This tree is used as a forage; that is, its leaves serve as grass for animal food. It is also widely used as an ornamental element.
Due to its leafiness it is also used to shade cattle, avoiding the sufferings of the high temperatures of the department of Tumbes.
References
- Guerrero, A. (1997). Tumbes: forests and mangroves.. Retrieved on November 22, 2017 from: sidalc.net
- Rujuel, O; Hernández, M. (nd). Flora of Tumbes.. Retrieved on November 22, 2017 from: floratumbesina.blogspot.net
- León, B. (1996). Observations on the flora of the coast of Peru.. Retrieved on November 22, 2017 from: researchgate.net
- Tumbes Department. Retrieved on November 22, 2017 from: es.wikipedia