Orto Botanico dell'Università di Catania
Encyclopedia
The Orto Botanico dell'Università di Catania (16,000 m²), also known as the Hortus Botanicus Catinensis, is a botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...

 in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...

, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. It is operated by the University of Catania
University of Catania
The University of Catania is a university located in Catania, Italy, and founded in 1434. It is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy and the 29th oldest university in the world...

 botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...

 department. This institution is a member of BGCI
Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Botanic Gardens Conservation International is a plant conservation charity based in London, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, whose combined work forms the world's largest plant conservation network.Founded in 1987, BGCI is a registered...

, with international identification code
CAT.

History

Realization of a garden was first attempted in 1847 with a purchase of land on the city outskirts, but the revolutions of 1848 rapidly led to its dispersion. In 1858 today's garden was established by Francis Roccaforte Tornabene, with first plantings in 1862 of specimens obtained from other botanical gardens in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, and Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...

. It was enlarged in 1865 with a new area dedicated to cultivation of indigenous Sicilian species, and in the early 1900s further enhanced by creation of the Giardino Botanico "Nuova Gussonea" on Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...

 for cultivation of native mountain plants. The main garden was damaged during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and its great Tepidario greenhouse demolished in 1958, but in subsequent years it has been renewed.

Overview

Today the garden is divided into two main sections: the Hortus Generalis (13,000 m²) which collects mainly exotic plants, and the Hortus Siculus (3000 m²) which cultivates Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

 species. The Hortus Generalis is divided into squares, set off by limestone steps, with two small greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...

s for succulents, a tropical greenhouse used primarily for reproduction of palms by seed and for cultivation of exotic plants, and three circular tanks for aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...

s. The Hortus Siculus is divided into narrow rectangular flower beds bordered with lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...

 stone, containing plants arranged by family. The garden also contains a handsome departmental building in neoclassical style.

The garden's main collections are as follows:
  • Succulent plants - thousands of specimens, most grown outdoors. The collection was first created by Tornabene, and in 1963 enlarged by 4,000 new specimens. Today it contains about 2,000 species, mainly Cactaceae, Euphorbiaceae
    Euphorbiaceae
    Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....

    , and Aizoaceae
    Aizoaceae
    The Family Aizoaceae or Ficoidaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1900 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds. Species that resemble stones or pebbles are sometimes called mesembs...

    . Of particular interest are its Astrophytum capricorne
    Astrophytum capricorne
    Astrophytum capricorne also known as the Goat's horn cactus has more spines than most Astrophytum species.- External links : . 25/2/2007....

    , Blossfeldia liliputana
    Blossfeldia liliputana
    Blossfeldia liliputana is a species of cactus native to South America in northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia...

    , Cereus
    Cereus
    Cereus is a genus of cactus. The term cereus is also used to describe cacti with very elongated bodies, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti...

    , Echinocactus grusonii
    Echinocactus grusonii
    Echinocactus grusonii is a well known species of cactus native to central Mexico from San Luis Potosi to Hidalgo. Described by Heinrich Hildmann in 1891, it is popularly known as the Golden Barrel Cactus, Golden Ball or, amusingly, Mother-in-Law's Cushion...

    , Leuchtenbergia principis, Lophophora williamsii, Mammillaria herrerae
    Mammillaria herrerae
    Mammillaria herrerae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....

    ,Mammillaria schiedeana, Mammillaria theresae, Melocatus jansenianus, Roseocactus fissuratus, and Toumeya papyracantha, as well as Euphorbia abyssinica, Euphorbia candelabrum
    Euphorbia candelabrum
    Euphorbia candelabrum is a succulent species of plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. Its Latin name derives from its growth habit, often considered to resemble the branching of a candelabrum. E. candelabrum is endemic to the Horn of Africa and eastern Africa along the Great Rift Valley system...

    , Euphorbia trigona, Euphorbia coerulescens, Euphorbia resinifera
    Euphorbia resinifera
    Euphorbia resinifera is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains.-Growth:It is a shrub growing to 60 cm tall, forming multi-stemmed cushion-shaped clumps up to 2 m wide...

    , and Caralluma europaea, Crassula brevifolia, Crassula falcata
    Crassula falcata
    Crassula falcata, known by the common names airplane plant and propeller plant, is a succulent plant endemic to South Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope. The foliage is gray-green with striking texture, on plants that grow to tall. The flowers are tiny and scarlet red, that rise in dense clusters...

    , and Stapelia
    Stapelia
    The genus Stapelia consists of around 40 species of low growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa. The flowers of certain species, most notably Stapelia gigantea, can reach 41 cm in diameter when fully open...

    .

  • Palms - about fifty species, representing Arecastrum, Arykuryroba, Butia
    Butia
    Butia,also known as a Pindo Palm is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to South America in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina...

    , Chamaedorea
    Chamaedorea
    Chamaedorea is a genus of 107 species of palms, native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas.. The name is derived from the Greek words χαμαί , meaning "on the ground," and δωρεά , meaning "gift." It refers to the easily reached fruits or the plants' low-growing nature.Chamaedorea...

    , Chamaerops
    Chamaerops
    Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae , comprising a single species Chamaerops humilis , representative of the Pre-Pliocene paleo-tropical ancestral lineages in the area.-Distribution:It is the only palm species native to continental Europe...

    , Erithea, Howea
    Howea
    Howea is a genus of two palms, H. belmoreana and H. forsteriana, both endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. H. forsteriana in particular is commonly grown as an indoor plant in the Northern Hemisphere, and the two species form the mainstay of the island's palm seed industry and more importantly...

    , Livistona
    Livistona
    Livistona is a genus of 36 species of palms , native to southern and southeastern Asia, Australasia, and the Horn of Africa...

    , Phoenix
    Phoenix (plant)
    Phoenix is a genus of 14 species of palms, native from the Canary Islands east across northern and central Africa, the extreme southeast of Europe , and southern Asia from Turkey east to southern China and Malaysia. The diverse habitats they occupy include swamps, deserts, and mangrove sea coasts...

    , Sabal
    Sabal
    Sabal is a genus of New World palms, many of the species being known as palmetto. They are fan palms , with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets; in some of the species, the leaflets are joined for up to half of their length...

    , Trithrinax
    Trithrinax
    Trithrinax is a genus of few flowering plants in the Arecaceae family, that belong to the Coryphoideae subfamily, a not very evolved lineage. The name is derived of ancient greek, where tri means three, and thrinax trident...

    , Trachycarpus
    Trachycarpus
    Trachycarpus is a genus of ten species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms , with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The leaf bases produce persistent fibers that often give the trunk a characteristic...

    , Washingtonia
    Washingtonia
    Washingtonia is a genus of palms, native to the southwestern United States and northwest Mexico...

    , etc., with notable specimens of Arecastrum romanzoffianum, Butia eriospatha
    Butia eriospatha
    Butia eriospatha is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Brazil.-References:* Noblick, L. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....

    , Brahea dulcis, Dypsis onilahensis
    Dypsis onilahensis
    Dypsis onilahensis is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Madagascar.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H.J. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....

    , Jubaea chilensis, Medemia argun
    Medemia argun
    Medemia argun is a rare palm tree species of flowering plant, in the Arecaceae family native to Africa.The palm's dried dates have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.-Distribution:...

    , Rhopalostylis sapida, Pritchardia hillebrandii, Sabal acauli, Trithrinax campestris
    Trithrinax campestris
    Trithrinax campestris or caranday palm is a South American arecaceae palm native of Uruguayan and northeastern Argentine sabanas, where it shares its habitat with Copernicia alba among others and extends also to the summits of mountain ranges of Sierras de Córdoba and Sierras de San Luis. It is a...

    , Trithrinax brasiliensis
    Trithrinax brasiliensis
    Trithrinax brasiliensis is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is known as "carandá", "burití" or "leque" . It is considered a rare and endemic species in southern Brazil , occurs in Argentina and southern Brazil...

    , Wallichia densiflora, and Washingtonia robusta
    Washingtonia robusta
    Washingtonia robusta is a palm tree native to western Sonora and Baja California Sur in northwestern Mexico. It grows to tall, rarely up to . The leaves have a petiole up to long, and a palmate fan of leaflets up to 1 m long. The inflorescence is up to long, with numerous small pale orange-pink...

    .

  • Sicilian plants - including Abies nebrodensis, Anthemis ismelia, Brassica
    Brassica
    Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards...

    , Celtis aetnensis, Centaurea tauromenitana, Cremnophyton lanfrancoi, Darniella melitensis, Cheirolophus crassifolius
    Cheirolophus crassifolius
    Cheirolophus crassifolius, the Maltese Centaury, Maltese Rock-centaury or Widnet il-Baħar, is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. It is endemic to Malta, where it has been the national plant of Malta since 1973. Its natural habitats are cliffs and coastal valleys...

    , Salix gussonei, Scilla cupani, Scilla dimartinoi, Scilla sicula, Senecio ambiguus, and Zelkova sicula
    Zelkova sicula
    Zelkova sicula is a species of Zelkova in the family Ulmaceae, endemic to Sicily.It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2–3 m tall; its natural mature size is unknown, as all existing specimens have been heavily browsed by goats, limiting their growth...

    .

  • Trees and shrubs - including Bupleurum fruticosum, Ceratonia siliqua, Chamaerops humilis, Cistus creticus
    Cistus creticus
    Cistus creticus is a species of shrubby plant in the family Cistaceae. Though it usually has pink flowers, of 4.5-5 cm diameter, this species is very variable. It is widely known as a decorative plant.-Subtaxa:*Cistus creticus subsp. creticus...

    , Dracaena draco
    Dracaena draco
    Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands Dragon Tree or Drago isa subtropical Dragon Tree native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores...

    , Erica multiflora, Fontanesia phillyraeoides, Myrtus communis, Quercus ilex, Phillyrea angustifolia, Pinus pinea, Pistacia lentiscus, Populus alba, Ulmus canescens
    Ulmus canescens
    Ulmus canescens Melville is a small deciduous tree occasionally known by the common names Grey Elm, Grey-leafed Elm, and Hoary Elm. Its natural range extends through the lands of the central and eastern Mediterranean, including the islands of Sicily, Malta, Crete and Cyprus, as far south as Israel,...

    , and Vitex agnus-castus
    Vitex agnus-castus
    Vitex agnus-castus, also called Vitex, Chaste Tree, Chasteberry, Abraham's Balm or Monk's Pepper, is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants...

    .

  • Exotic species - including Agathis australis
    Agathis australis
    Agathis australis, commonly known as the kauri, is a coniferous tree found north of 38°S in the northern districts of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest but not tallest species of tree in New Zealand, standing up to 50 m tall in the emergent layer above the forest's main canopy. The...

    , Agave americana, Ceratozamia mexicana
    Ceratozamia mexicana
    Ceratozamia mexicana is a species of plant in the Zamiaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...

    , Eriobotrya japonica
    Loquat
    The loquat , Eriobotrya japonica, is a fruit tree in the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. It was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar...

    , Macrozamia moorei
    Macrozamia moorei
    Macrozamia moorei is a cycad in the family Zamiaceae, native to Queensland .The species was described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1881, naming it after Charles Moore , director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.-Description:...

    , Morus alba, and Prunus armeniaca.

See also

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