Formerly this coast region furnished large quantities of Brazil-wood (Caesalpinia echinata), and the river valleys have long been the principal source of Brazil's best cabinet-wood - rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), jacaranda (Machaeriumfirmum,Benth.),vinhatico (Plathymenia foliosa, Benth.), peroba (Aspidosperma peroba), cedro, &c. The exotic mangabeira (mango) is found everywhere along the coast, together with the bamboo, orange, lemon, banana, cashew, &c.
Jacaranda was also successful last time out when easily outpointing Meltonian on fast ground at Stratford.
These are made up, as Prince Max zu Neuwied found in southern Bahia in 1817, " of the genera Cocos, Melastoma, Bignonia, Rhexia, Mimosa, Inga, Bombax, Ilex, Laurus, Myrthus, Eugenia, Jacaranda, Jatropha, Visinia, Lecythis, Ficus, and a thousand other, for the most part, unknown species of trees."
Pretoria is the staid, conservative capital, with wide streets lined with jacaranda trees that bloom purple in spring.