The tropical greenhouse of our Botanical Garden is dedicated to the rainforests and coastal mangrove ecosystem of the State of Veracruz in Mexico. It allows visitors to walk through a terrestrial ecosystem of a humid tropical environment and admire a group of mangroves. Most of the species in this greenhouse were collected during a botanical expedition in Mexico promoted by the former Director, the late Prof. Paolo De Luca (who held the position from 1981 to 2014). He was also the driving force behind the construction of the greenhouse in 2005, replacing an ancient greenhouse built in the 19th century that was previously in the same location. During the good season, the giant tropical water lily from South America, Victoria cruziana, grows in the pool. This species has white flowers that turn pink in the evening and floating leaves with a diameter of about one meter. The greenhouse also shows numerous useful plants, including Vanilla planifolia, an orchid from which vanilla essence is obtained.
Sistema Museale di Ateneo
