THE NEOTROPICAL BOTANIC GARDENS AND THE EXCHANGE OF PLANTS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Abstract

The unsuccessful effort to find in America the precious “spices” of the Far East led the European peoples to the search of substitutes and new useful plants immediately after the discovery. Some botanic gardens cultivating useful plants already existed in Mexico at the time of the European conquest and colonization. Their approach is analyzed as a model comparable to the gardens of the European Renaissance. The colonial wars of the main European countries for the possession of the American territories resulted in the sharing of the Spanish colonies. Botanic gardens ascribed to and supported by the Empires as strategic sites arise mainly in the Caribbean since 1765. Their important role in the introduction, propagation and distribution of plants is analyzed. The creation of state botanical stations with an agronomic nature at the end of XIX century contributed to the progressive abandonment of the gardens. The present situation and the future prospects of these institutions are discussed given the urgent need to conserve the phytoresources.