Allegory of the palma mater: an invented tradition

Abstract Some actions made by the botanist João Barbosa Rodrigues, during his term as director of the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (1890-1909), indicate an exaltation of the Brazilian Monarchy. In the history of the institution published in Hortus fluminensis (1894), Rodrigues described a scene in which the regent prince John VI, when solemnly founding the garden in 1809, would have planted an imperial palm with his own hands, a specimen known as palma mater. The period was full of political tension, due to the sudden change of government with the Proclamation of the Republic, on November, 15, 1889. In this article we discuss whether the name of Rodrigues was a consensus for director of the garden. Although he was recognized in Brazil and abroad as an important Brazilian scientist, he was a steadfast Monarchist. In this context, we present a critical analysis of the discourse involving the palma mater. The results suggest this discourse is historically unlikely, leading us to believe it is the case of an ‘invented tradition’ by the new director, expressed as an allegory with political goal. Other studies are necessary to better understand his goals, his interlocutors and possible reactions provoked by such manifestation.