Posted September 21, 2025 Written by Nicholas Hellmuth
Here is the complete 220 pages of large-format full-color photos from recent six-years of research by FLAAR and FLAAR Mesoamerica in project of coordination and cooperation with CONAP for the Reserva de la Biosfera Maya.
Since there are many hundreds of edible plants of each biodiverse ecosystem we have focused on savannas and swamps that have not been previously visited or studied by any botanist, ecologist, geologist or archaeologist.
With high-resolution aerial photos and panorama photos from iPhone Pro and Google Pixel pano-mode you can see in this publication incredible scenes of the Neotropical area around the Maya sites of Naranjo-Sa’al, Yaxha, Nakum, Topoxte Island and El Peru-Waka’. You can now see what the Classic Maya had available to eat without slash-and-burn milpa agriculture.
On Wednesday, February 19, at 8 pm ET, there will be a literally amazing PowerPoint presentation that shows rain forest ecosystems with amazing wild tropical plants that are edible.
We will show over 200 full-color photos of edible flowers and plants with other edible parts, including the largest native seed pod (as long as a long watermelon). The seeds could also make cacao (but the tree is not a Theobroma cacao tree). The flower of this Pachira aquatica, zapoton, tree is an inspiration for the “fleur de lis” painted on Late Classic Maya vases, bowls and plates.
There are over 600 wild plants in Guatemala that are edible and well over 200 of these are in the Reserva de la Biosfera Maya (RBM) of the north half of Peten (from Lake Peten Itza north to the Campeche border). The PowerPoint presentation via ZOOM will show you plants not in most documentary TV programs because no TV team wants to hike as deep into remote areas of the rain forests as the FLAAR team enjoys to explore.
IMS, Institute for Maya Studies, lecture organized by Jim Reed of IMS to be presented by Nicholas Hellmuth based on research on ecology and biology and biodiverse ecosystems of Peten during the recent six years by the entire team of biologists and ecologists of FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Posted September 27, 2024 Written by Nicholas Hellmuth
We did field work one week each month for 18 months in the Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, a one year research project for flora and fauna in Parque Nacional Yaxha, Nakum and Naranjo (PNYNN) and had a three-year project with CONAP in the Reserva de Biosfera Maya (RBM) in Peten. The result was more than 30 TERAbytes of digital photos of flora and fauna.
On September 24, 2024, we were asked to give a lecture at INTECAP on edible plants of Izabal but since most of the other lectures at this conference were on Peten, we added photos and comments on edible plants of Peten.
There are thousands of pine trees in southern Peten and millions in Belize. There are millions more pine trees in the Highlands of Guatemala—but in the north half of Peten, in the Reserva de la Biosfera Maya (RBM) pine trees rarely exist—except for one tiny “island” of pine trees near Parque Nacional Tikal (PANAT).
The FLAAR Reports on El Pinal island of pine trees in the RBM, one in English, the other in Spanish) also includes a nice organization of the plants that ethnobotanist Cyrus Lundel documented there many decades ago.
Our reports show lots of tasiste palm trees in the pine forest—so the pine needles on the ground do not stop the tasiste. We use a registered drone for aerial photos never before published of this remarkable ecosystem. This field trip is part of our ongoing research in cooperation and coordination with CONAP and with the administrators of each national park.
Aerial photos, map, panorama photos from the ground, with text in English.
The complete report, with captions and introduction in Spanish.
The Earth is quite an extraordinary planet, where plants have conquered almost every ecosystem, and ecological niche around the globe. They grow in tiny cracks in the cities, submerged in water, in branches, and light posts (this happens with epyphites!), on rocks, and in many other places. In that sense, there are plants that have evolved to live on beaches, and although it may sound fun, life on a beach is in fact rather complicated. These plants endure many circumstances, and conditions far from ideal for any plant.
Beach ecosystems, and plant life
Beach ecosystems are unique, and notably different from other types of ecosystem due to certain characteristics that define them. Among these, are the fact that the soil in them is mainly composed of sand; they are usually influenced by salty water, and they can be exposed to high temperatures, and solar irradiance.
In addition, beach ecosystems also experience higher exposure to strong winds, and other weather phenomena. In that sense, the wind not only happens to carry the ocean breeze (which is laden with salt), but also, it can become so strong that it would influence the development of the vegetation. On the other hand, beaches are more frequently exposed to natural disasters that can leave behind great consequences for the ecosystems that form in them, such as hurricanes, storms, tsunamis, and floods.
All these conditions are not whatsoever ideal for any plant. For that reason, those species that grow on beaches could be considered more resilient than other plants, and this is certainly thanks to the adaptations that they have undergone to adapt to their habitat.
Plants from the Caribbean beaches of Guatemala
During the Livingston’s Biodiversity Documentation Project, the FLAAR Mesoamérica expedition team got to document some of the plants that inhabit the beaches of Izabal in the Guatemala Caribbean. Since one of the focus of this project was to document wild edible species from wetland ecosystems, you may be surprised to know that there are several species that grow on beaches that are in fact edible.
To learn more about these plants check FLAAR’s Photo Reports from the Series Edible Plants of Wetlands by clicking here. In this article, you can learn of six plants that grow specifically in the beaches of Izabal.
The fruits of the Amphitecna tree are very similar to the fruits of the Calabash tree (Crescentia spp.), but smaller. Rio Caliz, Livingston. March 22, 2021. Photo by David Arrivillaga.
Morro de mar (Amphitecna latifolia)
This is a tree, or shrub with coriaceous leaves, that can be easily spotted for its crooked trunk, and its widely spreading crown (Standley, and Williams, 1974). Its flowers are bilabiate, and green, cream, or purple tinged (Standley, and Williams, 1974), reminiscent of the Calabash tree flowers (Crescentia spp.), or the cuajilote tree flowers (Parmentiera aculeata). The fruits, which are round, have edible seeds that can be roasted, and ground to make a chocolate-like drink (Mundo Forestal, 2020). Moreover, its wood can be used both as timber, and to manufacture musical instruments (García, n.d.). This species is also considered useful for live fences, dune stabilization, and the conservation of estuarine ecosystems (García, n.d.).
There’s a reason why this tree is known as “uva de mar” or sea grape in Spanish. Its racemes look a lot like grape racemes. Buena Vista, Livingston; July 4, 2021. Photo by Nicholas Hellmuth.
Papaturro, or sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera)
Coccoloba uvifera is a tree that can grow up to 25 m high. It has large coriaceous leaves, and its flowers are white, and slightly aromatic (Standley, and Steyermark, 1946). The fruits, which are round, and 1 to 2 cm in diameter, grow in racemes (Standley, 1922), very much reminiscent of grape racemes. And that’s not all. They are edible too, with an acidulous, somewhat astringent flavor (Standley, 1922), and very juicy (Standley, and Record, 1936). In addition, Standley (1922) mentions that “the wood is highly esteemed in tropical America for cabinet work, and is used also for fuel (...) said to yield a red dye (Standley, 1922, pp. 245).
These are the fruits of the confra palm. Buena Vista, Tapón Creek, Livingston; April 25, 2021. Photo by David Arrivillaga.
Confra palm (Manicaria saccifera)
This rather beautiful palm is usually medium-short (up to 6 m high), and has large leaves that can grow up to 5 m large (Standley, and Steyermark, 1958). Curiously enough, it only grows near the coast, “not extending in-land beyond the influence of tidewater” (Standley, and Steyermark, 1958, pp. 271).
Numerous of its uses have been described. For instance, it produces a strong fiber that can be incorporated into sandwich core panels for construction, and other uses (Porras, and Marañon, 2012). Local q’eqchi’ communities of Izabal, also say that its leaves are more durable for thatch roof than other local species (Hellmuth, 2021). Furthermore, its fruits, seedlings, and the starch from the stem are edible (Wilbert, 1994-1996).
The fruits of the icaco can turn into a dark purple color when ripe. Río Pedernales, Livingston; Juy 19,. 2021. Photo by David Arrivillaga.
Icaco (Chrysobalanus icaco)
This is a shrub, or small tree that grows up to 6 m high, with 3-8 cm long coriaceous leaves (Standley, and Steyermark, 1946). Its flowers are white, and its fruits can be white, pink, or dark purple (Standley, and Steyermark, 1946). In Nicaragua, the fruits are made into a preserve, and the seeds have an almond-like flavor.
Mangrove viviparous embryos are quite easy to spot. Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) in Creek Las Camelias, Livingston; June 21, 2021. Photo by Nicholas Hellmuth.
Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)
Mangroves may be the most iconic, and recognizable species in beach ecosystems. However, it is not so well known that at least two of all Guatemalan mangrove species are edible. In this regard, the propagules of both the black, and red mangrove (A. germinans, and R. mangle, respectively) are edible (Jordan, n.d.).
Credits of the title photo cover: a Coccoloba uvifera tree found on the Aldea Buena Vista beach. Livingston; April 30, 2021. Photo by David Arrivillaga.
References
GARCIA, Adriana
n.d.
Álbum informativo de árboles y palmas de Yucatán. Ayuntamiento de Mérida
2018-2021.
HELLMUTH, Nicholas
2021
Palm surviving Beach Sand and Salt Water, Manicaria saccifera, Wetlands of
Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala. Wetlands Report #11, Edible Plants of Municipio de Livingston that grow along the beach shore of Amatique Bay MLW2, Number 3. FLAAR Mesoamerica.
After being closed to repair the roof for over a year, the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología (MUNAE) is now open to the public. The entire inside of the museum was redesigned by new museum Director/Administrator Christopher Martínez.
Machaquila stelae have large water lily flowers being nibbled on by fish. This is a very common headdress decoration and the Machaquila stelae are well-preserved so you can see the beauty of the Nymphaea ampla flower.
A stylized fish (with two long feathers extending past its tail) nibbles on the petals of the large water lily flower. Actually the fish wants the seeds inside the mature flower, but the artists and sculptors always show the flower in full bloom (no seed inside yet).
The stem of the water lily flower is wrapped around a rectangularized rendition of the water lily pad. There are so many of these headdresses that you can “read” what is intended if you have experience seeing all the “Lily Pad Headdress Monsters” and other stylized renditions.
Machaquila Stela 3, MUNAE, Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Zona 13, Guatemala City, near the airport.
Closer view of the details of the fish, water lily flower, and rectangularized (stylized) water lily pad on Machaquila Stela 3, MUNAE. More than a dozen Maya stone stelae are on exhibit in the new displays organized by new museum Director/Administrator Christopher Martínez.
Young God N is in front of his conch shell home; a giant profile cross-section of a water lily flower is above. This remarkable scene is one of the new exhibits in MUNAE, Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología. The new museum Director/Administrator is Christopher Martínez. He had available thousands of artifacts but he selected ones with dramatic images such as this God N-conch-water lily flower scene. It is perfectly preserved and the orange-yellow color contrasts with the black background. We are making a list of all flora and fauna that are presented in the new exhibits chosen by Director/Administrator Christopher Martínez. There are a dozen animals and for flowers mostly Nymphaea ampla, white water lily.
Posted April 1, 2024 Written by Nicholas Hellmuth.
