The Orto Botanico dell'Università di Catania (16,000 m²), also known as the Hortus Botanicus Catinensis, is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe 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, an ...

in Catania,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is operated by the

University of Catania The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

department. This institution is a member of BGCI, 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 the garden was established by founder and director,

Benedictine Monk The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as OSB), are a Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order of the Catholic Church following the Rule of Saint Benedic ...

and botanist Francis Roccaforte Tornabene (1813–1897), with first plantings in 1862 of specimens obtained from other botanical gardens in Sweden,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, and Palermo. 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" The Giardino Botanico "Nuova Gussonea" is a botanical garden located at an altitude of 1700 m on the southern side of Mount Etna, in area B of the Etna Natural Park, Ragalna, Province of Catania, Sicily, Italy. It has a surface of about 10 hectar ...

on Mount Etna for cultivation of native mountain plants. The main garden was damaged during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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 species. The Hortus Generalis is divided into squares, set off by limestone steps, with two small greenhouses 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 plants. The Hortus Siculus is divided into narrow rectangular flower beds bordered with

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

stone, containing plants arranged by family. The garden also contains a handsome departmental building in neoclassical style. Orto botanico di Catania 102459

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 A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

'', ''

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as '' Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, ...

'', and ''

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1800 species. They are commonly known as ice plants or carpet weeds. They are often called vygies in South Africa and Ne ...

''. Of particular interest are its '' Astrophytum capricorne'', '' Blossfeldia liliputana'', '' Cereus'', ''

Echinocactus grusonii ''Echinocactus grusonii'' or ''Kroenleinia grusonii'', popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball or mother-in-law's cushion, is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico. It is rare and endangered in the ...

'', '' Leuchtenbergia principis'', ''

Lophophora williamsii The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root , "to ...

'', '' Mammillaria herrerae'', '' Mammillaria schiedeana'', '' Mammillaria theresae'', '' Melocatus jansenianus'', '' Roseocactus fissuratus'', and '' Toumeya papyracantha'', as well as ''

Euphorbia abyssinica ''Euphorbia abyssinica'', commonly known as the desert candle or candelabra spurge, is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. ''E. abyssinica'' is endemic to Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. It was first described in 1791, by the G ...

'', ''

Euphorbia candelabrum ''Euphorbia candelabrum'' is a succulent species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, one of several plants commonly known as candelabra tree. It is endemic to the Horn of Africa and eastern Africa along the East African Rift system. It is kno ...

'', '' Euphorbia trigona'', '' Euphorbia coerulescens'', '' Euphorbia resinifera'', and '' Caralluma europaea'', '' Crassula brevifolia'', '' Crassula falcata'', and ''

Stapelia ''Stapelia'' is a genus of low-growing, spineless, stem succulent plants, predominantly from South Africa with a few from other parts of Africa. Several Asian and Latin American species were formerly included but they have all now been transfe ...

''. * Palms - about fifty species, representing '' Arecastrum'', '' Arykuryroba'', ''

Butia ''Butia'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Many species produce edible fruits, which are sometimes used to make alcoholic beverages and other foods. ...

'', '' Chamaedorea'', ''

Chamaerops ''Chamaerops'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. The only currently fully accepted species is ''Chamaerops humilis'', variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy ...

'', '' Erithea'', ''

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 for ...

'', ''

Livistona ''Livistona'' is a genus of palms, the botanical family Arecaceae, native to southeastern and eastern Asia, Australasia, and the Horn of Africa. They are fan palms, the leaves with an armed petiole terminating in a rounded, costapalmate f ...

'', ''

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

'', ''

Sabal ''Sabal'' is a genus of palms (or fan-palms) endemic to the New World. Currently, there are 17 recognized species of ''Sabal'', including one hybrid species. The species are native to the subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, from th ...

'', '' Trithrinax'', ''

Trachycarpus ''Trachycarpus'' is a genus of eleven species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets ...

'', ''

Washingtonia ''Washingtonia'' is a genus of palms, native to the southwestern United States (in southern California, and southwest Arizona) and northwest Mexico (in Baja California and Sonora). Both ''Washingtonia'' species are commonly cultivated across t ...

'', etc., with notable specimens of '' Arecastrum romanzoffianum'', ''

Butia eriospatha ''Butia eriospatha'' is a small species of ''Butia'' palm endemic to the highlands of southern Brazil. It is very similar to ''B. odorata'', but is easily distinguished from this species by the distinct spathes which are densely covered in rus ...

'', ''

Brahea dulcis ''Brahea'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae. They are commonly referred to as hesper palms and are endemic to Mexico and Central America.Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of th ...

'', '' Dypsis onilahensis'', ''

Jubaea chilensis ''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...

'', ''

Medemia argun ''Medemia argun'' is a rare species of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) native to Egypt and Sudan. It is the only species in the genus ''Medemia''. The palm's dried dates have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Description ''Medemia argun' ...

'', ''

Rhopalostylis sapida ''Rhopalostylis sapida'', commonly known as nīkau ( mi, nīkau), is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand. Etymology is a Māori word; in the closely related Eastern Polynesian languages of the ...

'', '' Pritchardia hillebrandii'', '' Sabal acauli'', '' Trithrinax campestris'', '' Trithrinax brasiliensis'', '' Wallichia densiflora'', and ''

Washingtonia robusta ''Washingtonia robusta'', known by common name as the Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, or skyduster is a palm tree native to the Baja California peninsula and a small part of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Despite its limited native dist ...

''. * Sicilian plants - including ''

Abies nebrodensis ''Abies nebrodensis'', the Sicilian fir, is a fir native to the Madonie mountains in northern Sicily. Taxonomy It is closely related to silver fir, ''Abies alba'', which replaces it in the Apennine Mountains of Italy and elsewhere further nort ...

'', '' Anthemis ismelia'', ''

Brassica ''Brassica'' () is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family ( Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called ''cole c ...

'', '' Celtis aetnensis'', '' Centaurea tauromenitana'', '' Cremnophyton lanfrancoi'', '' Darniella melitensis'', '' Cheirolophus crassifolius'', '' Salix gussonei'', '' Scilla cupani'', '' Scilla dimartinoi'', '' Scilla sicula'', '' Senecio ambiguus'', and '' Zelkova sicula''. * Trees and shrubs - including '' Bupleurum fruticosum'', ''

Ceratonia siliqua The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens and lands ...

'', ''

Chamaerops humilis ''Chamaerops'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. The only currently fully accepted species is ''Chamaerops humilis'', variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy ...

'', '' Cistus creticus'', ''

Dracaena draco ''Dracaena draco'', the Canary Islands dragon tree or drago, is a subtropical tree in the genus '' Dracaena'', native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, western Morocco, and is thought to be introduced in the Azores. Its closest living ...

'', '' Erica multiflora'', '' Fontanesia phillyreoides'', '' Myrtus communis'', '' Quercus ilex'', ''

Phillyrea angustifolia ''Phillyrea angustifolia'', the narrow-leaved mock privet,RHS Plants. Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/24488/i-Phillyrea-angustifolia-i/Details ccessed 22/02/21/ref> is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae, native ...

'', '' Pinus pinea'', '' Pistacia lentiscus'', ''

Populus alba ''Populus alba'', commonly called silver poplar,Webb, C. J.; Sykes, W. R.; Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. 4. Christchurch, New Zealand, Botany Division, D.S.I.R. si ...

'', '' Ulmus canescens'', and ''

Vitex agnus-castus ''Vitex agnus-castus'', also called vitex, chaste tree (or chastetree), chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, or monk's pepper, is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of '' Vitex'', which is ...

''. * Exotic species - including ''

Agathis australis ''Agathis australis'', commonly known by its Māori name kauri (), is a coniferous tree in the family '' Araucariaceae'', found north of 38°S in the northern regions of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest (by volume) but not t ...

'', ''

Agave americana ''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...

'', ''

Ceratozamia mexicana ''Ceratozamia mexicana'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Veracruz states in Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and su ...

'', ''

Eriobotrya japonica The loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'') is a large evergreen shrub or tree, grown commercially for its orange fruit and for its leaves, which are used to make herbal tea. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The loquat is in the family ...

'', '' Macrozamia moorei'', ''

Morus alba ''Morus alba'', known as white mulberry, common mulberry and silkworm mulberry, is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized mulberry tree which grows to tall. It is generally a short-lived tree with a lifespan comparable to that of humans, although ...

'', and '' Prunus armeniaca''.

References

*

*

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20081017070742/http://www.grandigiardini.it/scheda.php?id=90 Tab on the site of Grandi Giardini Italiani * F. Tornabene, ''Hortus botanicus regiae Universitatis studiorum Catinae'', F. Galati, Catania, 1887. * V. Gicomini, "Un secolo di vita scientifica dell'Orto Botanico dell'Università di Catania (1858-1958)", ''Boll. Ist. Univ. Catania'', ser. II, vol. 2: I-LII, Catania, 1958. * A. Gugliemo and P. Pavone, "La collezione di piante succulente dell’Orto Botanico dell'Università di Catania", ''Il Naturalista Siciliano'', ser. IV, 5 (1-2): 1-20, Palermo, 1981. * A. Gugliemo and P. Pavone, ''L'Orto Botanico di Catania'', 1st edition Arti Grafiche Signorello, Catania, 1988; 2nd edition (1994), 3rd edition (1995) Litotipografia Vena, Palermo. {{DEFAULTSORT:Orto Botanico Dell'universita Di Catania University of Catania Buildings and structures in Catania Botanical gardens in Italy Gardens in Sicily Buildings and structures completed in 1858 1858 establishments in Italy

History

Overview

See also

References