Orto Botanico di Portici
Encyclopedia
The Orto Botanico di Portici (20,000 m²), also known as the Orto Botanico della Facoltà di Agraria dell'Università di Napoli-Portici, is a botanical garden
operated by the University of Naples Agriculture Department, and located at Via Università, 100 – 80055 Portici
, Province of Naples
, Campania
, Italy
. It is open weekday mornings, but reservations must be made in advance and an admission fee is charged.
The garden's site was formerly a royal palace built 1738-1748 by Charles III of Spain
, King of Naples and Sicily. After the Bourbons' departure in 1860, today's gardens were founded in 1872 with the Royal Higher School of Agriculture. The park was enlarged by a further 36 hectares at that time, and two ornamental gardens (about 9000 square meters) created, which were then transformed into botanical gardens by Nicola Antonio Pedicino, the school's first botany professor. In 1935 the school became part of the University of Naples, and subsequently occupied by allied troops during World War II, destroying many plants, but from 1948 its collections have been restored and enlarged.
The gardens currently contain over 4000 specimens representing about 1000 species
. The most important collection are desert plants, which include over 600 species from Agavaceae
, Aizoaceae
, Cactaceae (about 400 species), Didieraceae, and Euphorbiaceae
. Of particular interest are the Gymnocalycium
, Mamillaria, and Rhipsalis
; Alluaudia
, Aloe
, and Kalanchoe
from South Africa
and Madagascar
; and notable specimens of Welwitschia mirabilis from the South African desert. The garden also includes palms, fern
s, conifers, carnivorous plant
s, and edible and medicinal plants, as well as a heated greenhouse for succulents (1000 m²).
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...
operated by the University of Naples Agriculture Department, and located at Via Università, 100 – 80055 Portici
Portici
Portici is a town and comune of the Province of Naples in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is the site of the Portici Royal Palace.-Geography:...
, Province of Naples
Province of Naples
The Province of Naples is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital city is Naples, within the province there are 92 Comuni of the Province of Naples.-Demographics:...
, Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, 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 open weekday mornings, but reservations must be made in advance and an admission fee is charged.
The garden's site was formerly a royal palace built 1738-1748 by Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, King of Naples and Sicily. After the Bourbons' departure in 1860, today's gardens were founded in 1872 with the Royal Higher School of Agriculture. The park was enlarged by a further 36 hectares at that time, and two ornamental gardens (about 9000 square meters) created, which were then transformed into botanical gardens by Nicola Antonio Pedicino, the school's first botany professor. In 1935 the school became part of the University of Naples, and subsequently occupied by allied troops during World War II, destroying many plants, but from 1948 its collections have been restored and enlarged.
The gardens currently contain over 4000 specimens representing about 1000 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The most important collection are desert plants, which include over 600 species from Agavaceae
Agavaceae
Agavoideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales. It has previously been treated as a separate family, Agavaceae. The group includes many well-known desert and dry zone types such as the agave, yucca, and Joshua tree...
, 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...
, Cactaceae (about 400 species), Didieraceae, and 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....
. Of particular interest are the Gymnocalycium
Gymnocalycium
Gymnocalycium, commonly called chin cactus, is a genus of about 70 South American species of cacti. The genus name Gymnocalycium refers to the flower buds bearing no hair or spines....
, Mamillaria, and Rhipsalis
Rhipsalis
Rhipsalis is a genus of epiphytic cacti. They are typically known as mistletoe cacti. The scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek term for wickerwork, referring to the plants' habitus. Rhipsalis is one is part of the tribe Rhipsalideae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae...
; Alluaudia
Alluaudia
Alluaudia is a genus of six species of flowering plants endemic to Madagascar, where they form an important component of the Madagascar spiny forests. They are spiny succulent shrubs and trees from 2–20 m tall, with leaves that are deciduous in the long dry season...
, Aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
, and Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe , also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the Family Crassulaceae, mainly native to the Old World but with a few species now growing wild in the New World following introduction of the species.Most are shrubs or...
from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
; and notable specimens of Welwitschia mirabilis from the South African desert. The garden also includes palms, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, conifers, carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
s, and edible and medicinal plants, as well as a heated greenhouse for succulents (1000 m²).