Economic Botany Collection

Catalogue no.:

55339

Botanical classification:

MYRTACEAE Eucalyptus globulus

Common name:

Blue gum

Geographical description:

Ventimiglia, Italy

Item description:

Rosary formed of fruits

Length:

190cm plus 20cm

No. of beads:

63

Bead size:

2.5-3cm long

Plant information:

Medium to tall forest tree, up to 70m. One of the most widely cultivated Australian native trees, found in Algeria, Brazil, France, India, Spain, Portugal and California.

Donor date:

04/05/1891

Donor:

Sir Thomas Hanbury (1832-1907) - made his fortune dealing in silk and tea in Shanghai, after leaving England in 1853 at the age of 21. He left China in 1866 and in 1867 he bought the Orengo Palace at Ventimiglia on the Italian Riviera. In the surrounding gardens his brother Daniel, a prominent pharmacologist and botanist, helped to create the famous botanic garden “La Mortola”, which is important for its role in introducing exotic plants.