Living Collections
As of 2008 the gardens contained a total of 1200 taxa (estimation), 960 recorded accessions and about 3100 plants (estimation). 72 of the represented taxa are included in the IUCN red list, 14 of them are critically endangered.
- Most represented Families: Arecaceae: (404 taxa), Bromeliaceae (89), Cactaceae (31), Agavaceae (26), Moraceae (27), Pandanaceae (10), Mimosaceae (14), Zamiaceae (12)
- Most represented genera of palms (Arecaceae): Coccothrinax (43 taxa), Dypsis (21), Chamaedorea (18), Livistona (14), Pritchardia (12), Syagrus (12), Copernicia (11), Arenga (10).
The collection focuses on palms from islands and the section dedicated to the Caribbean is the largest. The collection of the Caribbean palm genera Thrinax, Coccothrinax and Hemithrinax are among the most complete in the world, as it proceeds from numerous expeditions to the wild habitats and collaborations with botanical gardens in the Caribbean, especially with the Montgomery Botanical Center in Miami, the Jardín Botánico Nacional de Santo Domingo and the Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba.
Some taxa are grown in sufficient number to allow ex situ seed production of IUCN species. An outstanding case is Coccothrinax borhidiana O. Muñiz, which is a slow and Critically Endangered species according to IUCN and is represented in the botanic gardens by 17 specimens germinated in 1996, now fruiting in the Caribbean section.
Read more about this topic: Palmetum Of Santa Cruz De Tenerife
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