Ceibo Flower

 November 22: National Flower Day, "El Ceibo" The ceibo flower, also known as seibo, seíbo, or bucaré, was declared the Argentine national flower by Decree of the National Executive Branch No. 138474/42 (December 23, 1942).

It is a tree native to the Americas, especially Argentina (the littoral region), Uruguay (where it is also the national flower), Brazil, and Paraguay. It grows on the banks of the Paraná and Río de la Plata rivers, but can also be found in areas near rivers, lakes, and swamps. It belongs to the legume family. It is not a very tall tree and has deciduous foliage of an intense green color. Its flowers are large and carmine red. Its trunk is twisted. Its roots are solid and anchor themselves firmly to the ground, counteracting erosion caused by water. Its yellowish-white, very soft wood is used to manufacture some lightweight items. Its flowers are used to dye fabrics.

The Legend of the Ceibo Flower.

According to legend, the ceibo flower was born when Anahí was condemned to die at the stake, following a bloody combat between her tribe and the Guaranís.

Anahí ran through the trees of the native jungle. She knew every nook and cranny of the thicket, every bird that populated it, every flower. She passionately loved that fertile, wild soil, bathed by the dark waters of the muddy river. And Anahí sang happily in its forests, with an exceedingly sweet voice, while the birds fell silent to listen to her. The little indigenous girl's voice rose to the sky, accompanied by the murmur of the river that vanished among the islands before flowing into the broad estuary. No one remembered then that Anahí possessed an unattractive face, so great was the beauty of her singing.

But one day, a murmur more violent than that of the river, more powerful than that of the waterfalls that shook the air far to the north, echoed through the jungle. The noise of weapons resounded in the thicket, and strange white-skinned men sailed up the waters and ventured into the jungle. Anahí’s tribe defended themselves against the invaders. She, alongside her people, fought against the bravest.

No one would have suspected such fierceness in her small, dark little body. She watched her loved ones fall, and this gave her the strength to keep fighting, to try to prevent those foreigners from taking over her jungle, her birds, her river.

One day, just as Anahí was preparing to return to her refuge, she was captured by two enemy soldiers. Her efforts to free herself were useless, agile though she was. They took her to the camp and tied her to a post to prevent her from escaping. But Anahí, with natural cunning, broke her bonds and, using the darkness of the night, managed to kill the sentinel. Afterward, she tried to find a hiding place among her beloved trees, but she could not get very far. Her enemies pursued her, and little Anahí fell into their hands once again.

They judged her severely: Anahí, guilty of having killed a soldier, had to die at the stake. And the sentence was carried out. The little indigenous girl was tied to a tree with broad leaves, and firewood was piled at her feet and set ablaze. The flames rose quickly, wrapping around the trunk of the tree and Anahí's fragile body, which also looked like a red blaze.

To the astonishment of those watching the scene, Anahí suddenly began to sing. It was like an invocation to her jungle, to her land, to which she was surrendering her heart before dying. Her exceedingly sweet voice shook the night, and the light of the new day seemed to respond to her call.

With the first rays of the sun, the flames surrounding Anahí died out. Then, the rough soldiers who had sentenced her stood mute and paralyzed. The dark body of the little girl had transformed into a bunch of flowers, as red as the flames that enveloped her, as beautiful as the little girl had never been before, as wonderful as her heart passionately in love with her land, adorning the tree that had sustained her.

Thus the ceibo was born, the rare crimson flower that illuminates the forests of the Argentine Mesopotamia. The ceibo flower that embodies the pure and haughty soul of a race that no longer exists.

It was declared the Argentine National Flower by Decree No. 138,974 of December 2, 1942. Its scarlet red color is the symbol of our country's fertility.http://www.cbelo.org.br/simbolos_nacionales.htm (2006) http://www.caletao.com.ar/pol/simb/arg/fnacarg.htmhttp://www.soloargentina.com/sobreargentina/simbolospatrios/

Decree of the National Executive Branch No. 138474/42

The flower of the Seibo or "Erythrina crista-galli" (also called Ceibo, Ceibo Macho, Chopo, or Suinandí) has been declared the national flower. The Government's resolution approved the actions of a specially appointed commission, which, in a report made public at the time, recommended the official adoption of the aforementioned flower.

The Commission, which conducted relevant studies on the various backgrounds and proposals submitted for its consideration, was chaired by Dr. Ricardo Helman, Chief Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, and also included as members: Professor José F. Molfico and Agr. Eng. Franco E. Devoto, representing the Ministry of Agriculture; Dr. Carlos Obligado, representing the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters; Agr. Eng. Emilio A. Coni, representing the Academy of History; Agr. Eng. Lorenzo R. Parodi, representing the Museum of La Plata; Agr. Eng. Arturo Burkart, representing the Darwinion Institute; Dr. Horacio C. Descole, representing the Lillo Institute (Tucumán); and Agr. Eng. Alberto V. Oitavén.

Decree of the Executive Branch: Buenos Aires, December 2, 1942

Having seen the report submitted by the special commission appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture to propose the flower that could be consecrated as the Argentine national flower, from whose proceedings it appears: a) That the ceibo flower has earned the preference of a large number of inhabitants from different areas of the country in various popular polls promoted by press organs and cultural and scientific entities, b) That these circumstances have led to the recognition of the ceibo flower in almost all European and American countries, where it already appears, by virtue of said background, as the floral representative of the Argentine Republic, c) That the ceibo flower, whose distribution spans extensive areas of the country, has been evoked in aboriginal legends and sung by poets, also serving as a motif for musical pieces that have enriched our folklore with artistic expressions of deep popular roots and typically indigenous character, d) That the color of the ceibo is among those displayed on our coat of arms, an expression of Argentinity and an emblem of our homeland, e) That in addition to possessing wood with industrial applications, extraordinary resistance to the environment, and easy multiplication, the ceibo tree has contributed to the geological formation of the Mesopotamian delta, the pride of the country and the admiration of the world, f) That various official, civil, and military institutions have established the planting of the ceibo at the foot of the flagpole that holds our flag, thus assigning it a symbolic and traditionalist character, g) Furthermore, that there is no flower in the Republic that encompasses botanical, phytogeographic, artistic, or historical characteristics that have earned unanimity of opinion to assign it the rank of national flower, meaning preferences, as made evident in the polls and contests carried out, h) Furthermore, that there is no possibility that a single plant can continuously span the entire extent of the country due to the diversity of its climatic and ecological conditions, i) That the opinion of the majority of the members of the aforementioned special commission, after analyzing the issue in its various aspects, has ruled in favor of the ceibo being the floral exponent of the Argentine Republic.

Therefore, The President of the Argentine Nation, in general agreement of ministers, DECREES:

Article 1. - Declare the ceibo flower to be the Argentine national flower. Article 2. - The Ministry of Agriculture shall adopt the necessary measures so that in the premises of the first Argentine Forestry Exhibition to be inaugurated on the 24th of the current month in this capital, the ceibo tree and flower are represented. Article 3. - Communicate, file, and make known.

DECREE No. 138474/42