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Discover the Machaerium guidone, the new plant of the Caatinga identified in Piauí that pays a posthumous tribute to archaeologist Niède Guidon. Check out the details.
A plant that resembles a heart now carries the surname of one of the greatest defenders of Brazilian heritage. In early April 2026, the scientific community officially classified the new plant of the Caatinga, Machaerium guidone, a species that, despite existing for millennia, only recently had its unique identity recognized.
The naming, published in the international journal Kew Bulletin, honors archaeologist Niède Guidon, who passed away before she could see the completion of the article initiated in 2022. The study was led by researchers from the National School of Tropical Botany, linked to the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, and describes the shrub as a rare piece of the semi-arid biome.
The “discovery” of the Machaerium guidone
The case of the new plant of the Caatinga reveals a curious aspect of botany: the fact that a species can be collected multiple times without being truly understood. Researchers had previously found the plant in earlier field expeditions, but its specific characteristics had never been noted.
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This scientific “invisibility” ended when specialists decided to take a closer look at the collected material. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed that the plant is not exclusive to a single location, having records in other states: Piauí, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, and Minas Gerais.
Unlike other representatives of its genus, the Machaerium guidone does not have thorns on its branches. It grows as a woody vine, supporting itself on other structures to reach upwards, functioning similarly to a liana.
Its firm and rounded leaves were one of the main attractions for researchers. According to Valner Matheus Milanezi Jordão, a PhD student at JBRJ and author of the research, the aesthetic aspect of the plant was fundamental for the beginning of the study.
While many plants of the semi-arid region have aggressive defense strategies, the Machaerium guidone stands out for the softness of its forms. Thus, the plant became a metaphor for archaeology itself: something delicate and valuable hidden in an arid environment.
The political symbolism and the memory of Niède Guidon
The decision to name the new plant of the Caatinga Machaerium guidone, in reference to the founder of the American Man Museum Foundation (FUMDHAM), had motivations that go beyond science.
The researchers wanted to reaffirm the importance of Niède’s work as a political and preservation act. Since the collection that served for the international recognition of the plant occurred in the Serra da Capivara National Park, the connection with the archaeologist became inevitable.
Although the scientific process began while Guidon was still alive, the official publication in 2026 ended up becoming a posthumous tribute. Therefore, the archaeologist, who fought to protect the rock paintings and biodiversity of Piauí, is now immortalized in the taxonomy of Brazilian flora.
The official recognition of the Machaerium guidone brings to light a warning about the preservation of the Caatinga. The fact that a new species is identified only now reinforces that the biome still hides biological secrets that may be lost without proper protection.
The work carried out by the botanists of the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro demonstrates that the cataloging of Brazilian life is a continuous process. Meanwhile, the new species of legume officially becomes part of the natural heritage of the country.
Finally, the discovery of the new Caatinga plant, Machaerium guidone, serves as a reminder that the protection of a region, like that initiated by Niède Guidon in the 1970s, is what allows the science of 2026 to continue to flourish.
Source: Aventuras na História
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