Murici Ecological Station an average of . The dominant vegetation is dense rainforest in the Atlantic Forest biome. In the best preserved areas, mostly at the higher elevations, the forest forms a fairly uniform closed canopy up to high that provides shade and retains moisture. Tree species include murici ("Byrsonima sericea"), "Schefflera morototoni", "Parkia pendula", "Tabebuia" species, "Pseudobombax" species, "Bowdichia virgilioides", "Tapirira guianensis", "Handroanthus impetiginosus" and "Protium" species. The understory contains seedlings of trees, palms such as "Euterpe catinga", and many lianas and epiphytes, such as "Araceae", "Orchidaceae" ("dimerandra" species, "Dichaea" species, "Rodriguezia" species, "Cattleya labiata", "Pleurothallis" species, "Epidendrum" species, "Oncidium" species and
Flowering plant Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family (including pumpkins and melons); the Brassicaceae, or mustard plant family (including rapeseed and the innumerable varieties of the cabbage species "Brassica oleracea"); and the Apiaceae, or parsley family. Many of our fruits come from the Rutaceae, or rue family (including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc.), and the Rosaceae, or rose family (including apples, pears, cherries, apricots, plums, etc.). In some parts of the world, certain single species assume paramount importance because of their variety of uses, for example the coconut ("Cocos nucifera") on Pacific atolls, and the olive ("Olea europaea") in the Mediterranean region. Flowering plants also