Jardín Botánico Chagual
Encyclopedia
The Jardín Botánico Chagual is a 33.9-hectare Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

an 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 the process of development, focusing on the preservation of plants native to the Mediterranean climatic
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...

 zone of Chile (between 30° and 38° S latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...

). It forms part of the Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas del Estado (SNASPE; National System of Protected Areas of the Country) and of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). It is meant to complement the collections of native plants in the national botanical gardens of Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...

 and Valdivia
Valdivia, Chile
Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers, approximately east of the coastal towns of Corral and Niebla...

.

Location

The Jardín Botánico Chagual is located in the Metropolitan Park of Santiago, a park situated in central Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...

. The terrain includes flat zones, slopes, gorges and small hills.

History

The foundation of the botanical garden is linked with a nonprofit Municipal Cultural Corporation, which was announced publicly in September 2002. Its location and its affiliation with BGCI allow it to play an important role in the exhibition, conservation and study of plants in its region, as well as in botanical education. It has received the Sello Bicentenario 2004 (Bicentennial Seal 2004) of the Chilean government, part of the preparations for the 2010 celebrations of the bicentennial of the Republic of Chile.

Collections

The Jardín Botánico Chagual specializes in the Mediterranean climatic zone of Chile and its rich pool of endemic plants. It is estimated that 30% of the over 3000 plant species of this zone are endemic, or found only in this area.

Currently the Jardín Botánico Chagual contains the following collections:
  • Evergreen trees and shrubs (Beilschmiedia miersii
    Beilschmiedia miersii
    Beilschmiedia miersii , an evergreen tree in the Lauraceae native to central Chile from 30 to 35°S., up to 1200 meters above sea level and lives under very dry conditions....

    , Cryptocarya alba
    Cryptocarya
    Cryptocarya is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes more than 350 species, distributed through the Neotropic, Afrotropic, Indomalaya, and Australasia ecozones.-Overview:...

    , and Peumus boldus, Lithraea
    Lithraea
    Lithraea is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae....

     caustica
    , and Quillaja saponaria
    Soap bark tree
    Quillaja saponaria, the soap bark tree or Soapbark, is an evergreen tree in the family Quillajaceae, native to warm temperate central Chile. In Chile it occurs from 32 to 40° South Latitude approximately. Populations are found even 2000 m above sea level. It can grow to 15-20 m in height...

    ); deciduous trees and shrubs (Nothofagus macrocarpa
    Nothofagus
    Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...

    , N. obliqua
    Nothofagus obliqua
    Nothofagus obliqua, is a deciduous tree from Chile and Argentina. It grows from 33 to 43° South Latitude, in Chile and Argentina. The northern extent of this tree's range in Chile is considered to be the Vizcachas Mountains and La Campana National Park.-Description:N...

    , N. glauca
    Nothofagus glauca
    Nothofagus glauca is a species of plant in the Nothofagaceae family. It is a tree endemic to Chile. It grows from 34° to 37° South latitude.-Description:...

    , N. alessandri
    Nothofagus alessandri
    Nothofagus alessandri is a species of plant in the Fagaceae family. It is endemic to Chile. It is threatened by habitat loss. The species is protected within Los Ruiles National Reserve.-Description:...

    ); thorn bushes and related members of the Rosaceae
    Rosaceae
    Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...

     (Kageneckia angustifolia
    Kageneckia angustifolia
    Kageneckia angustifolia is a species of plant in the Rosaceae family. It is endemic to Chile. It grows from Limari to Talca in the Chilean Coast Range and in the Andes.-Description:...

    ); and mountain cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis)
  • Bromeliaceae
    Bromeliaceae
    Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...

     of Chile
  • Amaryllidaceae
    Amaryllidaceae
    Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...

     and Liliaceae
    Liliaceae
    The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...

     of Chile


Additional new collections are planned.

External links

Official website Article from Chloris chilensis

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This article is a free translation of the Spanish Wikipedia article, with some additional information.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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