Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
% The Orquidarium
This part of the
garden is home to some
of the world's most rare
orchids, including the
famous Cattleya (below) .
Some 1,000 tropical
orchids are cultivated and
preserved here.
$ Museu Casa dos Pilões
This simple, whitewashed cottage (above) , hidden
away near the Orquidarium, was once the center for
grinding saltpetre, charcoal, and sulphur into gunpow-
der for the Royal Rio de Janeiro Gunpowder Factory,
which dates from 1808 and is also located in the garden.
^ Giant Amazon
Lilies
The world's largest
waterlilies (center) ,
the Victoria amazonica
or Victoria regia are
cultivated on ponds in
the gardens. Discovered
in the 19th century, the
lily was named for the
then British Monarch,
Queen Victoria.
& The Arboretum
The garden is home to
some 8,000 plant species,
including the many native
Brazilian trees in the
arboretum, which make
up a botanical preserve
of global importance.
( Views of
* The Jardim dos
Corcovado
The gardens boast
wonderful views of
Corcovado (see pp8-9) ,
which is visible in the
distance through the
trees. The ideal time for
taking photographs is in
the late afternoon, when
visitors start to leave and
the light is the best.
Beija-Flores
This beautiful humming-
bird garden has been
planted with hundreds
of brightly colored
flowering plants that
attract butterflies, such
as the Morpho Blue,
as well as more than
20 different species of
hummingbird.
A Botanical Ark
Brazil has more than
21 million hectares of
nature preserves which
amount to less than
2 percent of the
country's territory.
According to botanists,
this is far too little to
ensure the preservation
of many vulnerable
natural habitats.
Botanical gardens play a
crucial role in plant con-
servation, preserving
many rare species.
) The Café Botânico
Cariocas visit Jardim
Botânico not just to enjoy
the stunningly diverse
plant life, but also to
while away the hours
over a coffee or light
lunch in this attractive
open-air café (left), next
to the cactus gardens.
19
 
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