Portrait of José Gervasio Artigas to the right, date below.

José Gervasio Artigas (1764—1850) is a national hero of Uruguay, soldier and revolutionary leader who is regarded as the father of Uruguayan independence, although that goal was not attained until several years after he had been forced into exile. Artigas's birthday is celebrated as a national holiday (19 June).

Cockspur coral tree, date below.

Erythrina crista-galli, often known as the cockspur coral tree, is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, notably in California. It is known by several common names within South America: ceibo, seíbo (Spanish), corticeira (Portuguese) and the more ambiguous bucaré, to name a few. Its specific epithet crista-galli means "cock's comb" in Latin.

The ceibo is the national tree of Argentina, and its flower the national flower of Argentina and Uruguay.