Abstract
When the Portuguese settlers arrived in Brazil, they were impressed by the diversity of plants and uses known to the Indians. The general objective of the study was to verify the uses and provenances of the plants of Maranhao in century XVII through documentary analysis of the work of Cristovao de Lisboa, and more specifically; identify the plants according to the current botanical nomenclature. The methodology of the work was based on the consultation of the facsimile edition of the work 'History of animals and trees of Maranhao'. Of the total number of plants (n = 55) extracted from the work, 87.27% (n = 48) were identified botanically at least at the family level, and, 12.73% (n = 07) were not identified. Regarding the origin of the species, 98.18% (n = 54) was composed of native species, and only 1.82% (n = 1) consisted of exotic species. The importance of food was highlighted among the uses raised (74%). The manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz; Euphorbiaceae) and passion fruit (Passiflora spp.; Passifloraceae) were the best-known species among the Indians of the time. Finally, the total number of plants contained in the work of Cristovao de Lisboa (n = 55) was lower than expected for Maranhao, an area of contact between the main Brazilian biomes. Keywords: Historiography of plants; documentary analysis; Flora of Maranhao.
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