The Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo

              BOTÁNICA MACARONESICA 2 (1976)
THE JARDÍN BOTÁNICO "VIERA Y CLAVIJO"
D. BRAMWELL
Jardín Botánico "Viera y Clavijo" del Excmo. Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria
RESUMEN
Se expone brevemente lo que ha sido la historia del Jardín Botánico "Viera y Cla­vijo"
que el próximo año cumplirá sus primeros 25 años de vida, después de que lo
fundara el insigne Botánico E. R. Sventenius, al que dedicó hasta los últimos años de su
vida.
A continuación se señalan las realizaciones conseguidas y ^actualizadas en una
segunda fase de desarrollo, concentradas en la extensión de las actividades del Jardín ha­cia
estudios científicos más modernos y la puesta en marcha de los nuevos laboratorios,
herbario, libros y publicaciones.
Se señalan las actuales líneas de estudio seguidas en el Jardín junto con el per­sonal
dedicado a ellas, y por último se exponen los proyectos previstos para el futuro de­sarrollo
del jardín y las facilidades que se ofrecen para aquellos botánicos que lo deseen
visitar.
CONTENTS
Resumen 95
Introduction 95
New Facilities 96
Library & Publications 98
Herbarium 98
Laboratories 98
Researchim Progress 99
Future Development 00
Visiting Workers 100
INTRODUCTION
The Jardín Botánico Canario "Viera y Clavijo" is due, next
year 1977, to celébrate the 25th aniversary of its foundation by
the local government authority the Excmo. Cabildo Insular de Gran
Canaria. The garden is dedicated to the cultivation, conservation
and scientific study of the Macaronesian Flora especially that of
the Canary Islands.
95
THE JARDÍN BOTÁNICO "VIERA Y CLAVUO"
It was between 1950 and 1952 that the distinguished res-ident
botanist Dr. Eric R. Sventenius convinced the then Presi­den!
Don Matías Vega Guerra and the island council that the creat-ion
of a garden devoted to the local Ganarían Flora would be an
extremely foresíghted ínvestment for the future. In 1952 hís pro-posal
and ínítíal project were accepted and the garden founded.
The fírst years of the garden, when it was under the very
capable direction of Dr. Sventenius, were devoted to the lands-caping
and planting of a magnífícent natural site in the Barran­co
de Guiniguada near Tafira Alta, a few kílometres from the cíty
of Las Palmas. The scientifíc labour of the garden during this stage
of development was oríentated towards the exploration of remote
parts of the Canary Islands, and the coUection and identification of
new and poorly known taxa thus building up herbarium and living
coUections as a basis for study in the future. At this time Svente­nius
was also the sénior botanist at the Jardín de Aclimatación de
La Orotava, on the island of Tenerife, where the bulk of his herba­rium
collectíons are still to be found.
The results of this work were published at regular intervals
and culminated in 1960 with the appearance of "Additamentum ad
Floram Canariensem", one of the major 20th Century works on the
Ganarían flora and which was íntended by its author to be a sup-plement
to Webb & Berthelot's "Phytographia Ganariensis". A
further series of papers "Piantae Macaronesienses Novae vel mi-nus
Gognítae" was also published by Sventenius from 1969-71 fol-lowing
visits to the island of Madeira, the Gape Verde Islands and
the Salvage Islands.
During this períod Sventenius coUected together a substantial
personal líbrary of books and reprínts on the Macaronesian, Iberian
and Afrícan Floras and on succulent plants. This líbrary was, follo-wing
Sventenius' untímely death in a road accident in 1973, pre-sented
to the garden by his famíly.
Towards the end of this first phase of development Svente­nius
initiated a programme of more modern scientifíc studies of the
Ganarían flora and, probably ínfluenced by an oíd fríend Prof. G.
Erdtman, started palynologícal research with the aíd of a post-gra-duate
assistant. It is on this considerable legacy that we have, in the
past two years been able to lay the foundatíons of the most recent
phase of the expansión of both the scientifíc and public aspect of
the botanical garden.
NEW FACILITIES
In August 1974 the Jardín Botánico Ganario "Viera y Glavijo"
96
D. BRAMWELL
^3^'c#í^íi'
"ir5«^-^^^ -
Píate 1. Jardín Botánico "Viera y Clavijo" : 1 . Laboratory and administration building.
2 & 3 Views of the garden. 4. Library and herbarium. 5 & 6 View of laboratory section.
THE J A R D Í N BOTÁNICO "VIERA Y CLAVDO"
began its second phase of development which has, so far, concentra-ted
on the extensión of research activities. It was immediately ob-vious
that this could not take place without more research space,
facilities, equipment, library etc., and the funds available to the
garden have been generously increased to allow for this expansión.
LIBRARY AND PUBLICATIONS
The garden library started in 1974, now contains over 2000
volumes including the Sventenius coUection and forms a working
basis for taxonomic studies and for modern plant research in the
fields of ecology and conservation, cytogenetics, palynology, anato-my
and biosystematics.
An extensive reprint collection especially on Macaronesian
topics is also available. The garden receives a number of journals
and the publication of a new periodical "Botánica Macaronésica"
should lead to a considerable increase in the number of journals ta-ken
by exchange. The garden also publishes an annual seed-list (In­dex
Seminum) and various publicity leaflets. A Spanish language
edition of D. & Z. I. Bramwell "Flores Silvestres de las Islas Cana­rias"
will be published in October 1976.
HERBARIUM
The scientific personell of the garden are currently engaged
in the formation of a Macaronesian herbarium. The basis of the her-barium,
at present, is part of the Sventenius collection especially
specimens from Gran Canaria, La Palma, Salvage Islands and Cape
Verde Islands. Canary Islands and Madeira specimens collected by
D. Bramwell and various other workers are also available It is hoped
that the herbarium will in futuro be a major repository for Macaro­nesian
plants. The garden staff will undertake the collection of her­barium
specimens, seeds, etc., for genuino research workers whe-never
possible.
LABORATORIES
New laboratorios have been set up for modern research in
systematic and evolutionary botany in order to study living mate­rial,
populations in the field and in comparativo cultivation and
generally take advantage of the "natural island laboratory" that
is the Cañarían Archipelago.
97
THE J A R D Í N BOTÁNICO "VIERA Y CLAVUO"
The garden has cytology, anatomy, palynology and ecology
laboratories and a scanning electrón microscopy unit and these will,
in the near future, be moved to a new building with further room
for expansión.
RESEARCH IN PROGREÍ5
Research projects currently in progress are under the gene­ral
supervisión of the garden director Dr. D. Bramwell in conjunc-tion
with an internationally ~ based scientific advisory committee.
f his committee is a unit of the recently formed garden council
which raeets twice a year to consider and advise on all aspects of
the garden's development.
The principal research under way at present is as foUows:
DR. D. BRAMWELL,
JULIA M.a PÉREZ DE
PAZ,
JOSÉ ORTEGA GARCÍA,
BERNARDO NAVARRO
VALDIVIELSO,
ANA ROSA BARRY GÓMEZ,
VÍCTOR MONTBLONGO
PARADA,
ALICIA ROCA SALINAS,
MIGUEL ÁNGEL MORENO
CAMENO,
M." NIEVES GONZÁLEZ
HENRIQUEZ,
DR. ANGELA ALDRIDGE,
Flora of Macaronesia.
Cytotaxonomy and biosystematics of the Cañarían Flora.
The genera Echium and Suene in Macaronesia.
Biosystematics of Macaronesian Senecio species.
Palynology of Cañarían endemics.
Cytogenetics of Macaronesian Lotus and other Legumi-osae.
Écological variation in Cañarían Sideritis.
Reproductive biology of Cañarían endemics. PoUination
mechanisms.
Systematic anatomy of forest tree species. Comparative
study of epidermis and trichomes.
Reiproductive ecology. Dispersal mechanisms in Cana-rían
endemics. Biology of halophytes.
Palynology of Cañarían endemics, especially Labiatae.
Coniparative morphology and structure of pteridophyte
spores.
Biosystematics and cytotaxonomy of Macaronesian Tol-pis
sipecies. Ecology of Lichens in pioneer habitáis.
Ecology of Zostera marina and its epiphytes. Qyptoga-mic
botany.
Anatomy and evolution of woody insular endemics. Ma­caronesian
Sonchus. Macaronesian Bryophyta.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
A new building has been aquired for the garden and work
will begin towards the end of 1976 on converting the interior to hou-se
the library, herbarium and laboratories more adequately than at
present. It is hoped that this will be completed in 1977. Four post-gtaduate
studentships will also be available from September 1976
98
D. BRAMWELL
through the "Plan Cultural" of the Province of Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, and several new research projects will, therefore, be star-ted.
A landscape project for the development of all 26 hectares
available to the garden has been drawn up and has been accepted
in principie. Work has already started on the initial phases of this
and it is hoped that it will go ahead quickly when discussions con-cernirig
finance and staff are completed.
FACILITIES FOR VISITING BOTANISTS
The existence of this relatively new and important research
centre is not generally known to outside workers and, therefore,
the facilities available are sometimes overlooked. As general policy
the garden welcomes short-and long-term visits by research workers
with a supecial interest in island botany and the Macaronesian flora.
Such visits stimulate interest and scientific exchange of material
and ideas and, when the new building is completed, extra laboratory
space will be available to house visiting workers.
99
NOTA PAEA LOS AUTORES
1.—Botánica Macaronésica publica trabajos científicos originales en espa­ñol
o inglés dentro del tema de botánica descriptiva y experimental
relacionada con la región Macaronésica (Islas Canarias, Madeira, Azo­res,
Islas de Cabo Verde e Islas Salvajes).
2.—Los trabajos son aceptados para su publicación bajo el asesoramien-to
de al menos un arbitro independiente.
3.—Los manuscritos presentados deberán ajustarse al estilo utilizado en
Botánica Macaronésica N.° 2. Un resumen conciso y cuadro sinópti­co
deberán ser incluidos.
4.—Los manuscritos deberán ser mecanografiados a doble espacio y so­lamente
en una cara de papel.
5.—^Los nombres científicos en latín deberán ser subrayados con una sola
línea, todas las demás marcas deberán ser dejadas a los editores.
6.—^Fotografías en blanco y negro y grabados de buena calidad son acep­tados
como también material ilustrativo.
7.—Los manuscritos deberán ser enviados al Editor, Botánica Macaroné­sica,
Jardín Botánico "Viera y Clavijo", Tafira Alta, Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias, España.
8.—Los autores recibirán 50 separatas gratis y también pueden encargar
más de antemano a precio de costo.