El proyecto “jardines verdes de Azores”: breve caracterización de la flora vascular de los jardines históricos de azores

Abstract

The Green Gardens Azores Project is part of the action plan for tourism development in Portugal (2014-2020) and aims to integrate the Azorean Gardens in the circuit of international Garden Tourism. With that purpose a set of considered and diversified actions were undertaken including the production of a vascular plant checklist of the following Azorean Historical Gardens: ‘Duque da Terceira’, ‘António Borges’, ‘Sant’Ana’, ‘José do Canto’, ‘Azores University’, ‘José do Canto Woodland Gardens’, ‘Beatriz do Canto’, and ‘Terra Nostra’. In this study a brief characterization of the extant vascular flora in the historical Azorean Gardens is presented. A total richness of 1889 different specific and infra-specific taxa, hybrids and cultivars is reported. This richness is represented by 994 species, 511 genera, 167 families, 287 hybrids and 901 cultivars. Camellia hybrids correspond to 60% of all the hybrids and Camellia cultivars represent 71% of all the cultivars. Zamiaceae is the family best represented with 73 species while the best represented genera are Encephalartos with 48 species and Camellia with 45 species and 51 taxa. Asia is the geographic region best represented in the gardens with 354 species (254 species exclusively from Asia). The presence of 5 species extinct in the wild and 96 threatened species in the Azorean Gardens stresses the role of the Gardens in the Conservation of World Flora.