Gameleira

Description:

The ruins of the Stone Church - Church of Bom Jesus Matozinhos - is an attraction in itself. Built by slaves in the seventeenth century, between the years 1650 and 1679 on the banks of the Velhas River, has a colonial style and was built with stones and lime mortar. The construction, however, was never completed. The chancel was built first, while the ship was never receive coverage. A curious fact, which draws the attention of tourists for its peculiarity is the existence of a huge fig tree that was born on the walls for over 30 years. The crown of the tree has grown and today stands the ruins, while their roots down through the wall and penetrated the soil. This wall, a mixture of rocks and roots, still holding the entire tree. On the one hand, the stone on the other, the life force building the monument. The work of man and nature embraced to survive the ravages of time.

Habitat:

Native in Brazil, can reach between 10 and 20 feet high. Its roots spread out, forming a basic characteristic of the species. Its fruits are small, round, soft and green. Its seeds are small, similar to Fig.

Notes:

Also called iroko, its leaves are used in the preparation of holy water in the rituals of culture african basileira.