Abstract
A new orchid house was built before 1879 in Portugal (Ajuda, Lisboa) for the orchid collection of the King Luis I of Portugal. That house was designed using the best technical solutions of that time. The orchid collection of 438 different orchids, almost all of which were natural species was clearly larger than most collections in botanic gardens in Europe and other non tropical areas then and today. After the Lisbon Regicide, the murder of King Carlos I of Portugal, the follower of King Luis I, the Botanic Garden of Ajuda including the orchid collection was transferred from The Royal administration to the University of agriculture and the collection started to decline and disappeared completely. A private family (Tuulikki and Pekka Ranta), who transported their collection of about 10000 orchids from Finland to Portugal (2011) has decided and promised to recollect that historical orchid collection in such a way, that the collection can be visited and studied a reasonable long time in the future. The recollection is planned to be completed during 2021, 140 years after the complete list of the orchid collection of King Luis I was signed.
Highlights
When we look back 300 years – orchids and Europe had totally different relation than they have today
Different orchid species they had less than 30% of the amount that the King Luis I had
How to find all the species that are written in the historical catalogues When we are making a replica of that historical orchid collection, we are handling problems of different kind
Summary
When we look back 300 years – orchids and Europe had totally different relation than they have today. The meadows from Europe to Turkey and even to Belutšistan were fertilized - the orchids lost the fight. This all was changed about 1818 when orchids from tropics entered the stage. 'Jardim Botanico da Ajuda', the oldest botanic garden of Portugal was in quite bad shape about 1870, so the Royal administration took it over and started work to renovate the garden. Pekka Ranta: Recollection of the Historical Portuguese Orchid Collection from 1879 those modern collections clearly more than 50% of the orchids are hybrids Different orchid species they had less than 30% of the amount that the King Luis I had.
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