The role of botanical gardens has changed over time, from being, in the beginning, medicinal gardens for the study and cultivation of plants with healing properties, to becoming in time open green spaces for people’s relaxation and leisure. Currently, botanical gardens have a key role in plant conservation and the education of those who visit them daily, but also in the air purification of the in urban areas.
Presently, in the existing botanical gardens in the world there are an estimated 80,000 species of plants, many of them endangered.
The postage stamp issue Flowers from Botanical Gardens presents rare flower species found in the patrimony of four botanical gardens in Romania.
On the stamp with the face value of lei 1.00 is illustrated Astragalus peterfii Jáv, a plant from the species Milkvetch, endemic to Romania, discovered in 1916 near the Suatu village in the Transylvanian Basin. Having a particular scientific value, given by its uniqueness, age and origin, it is currently found in the ”Alexandru Borza” Botanical Garden of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca.
The stamp with the face value of lei 3.30 reproduces the image of Brandza’s Iris (Iris branzdae Prodan), a plant bearing the name of the doctor and botanist Dimitrie Brandza, and which can be admired at the oldest botanical garden in Romania, the ”Anastasie Fatu” Botanical Garden in Iasi.
The stamp with the face value of lei 8.10 reproduces the image of the Romanian Peony or Forest Peony (Paeonia peregrina Mill), a plant which beautifies and completes the living patrimony of the Botanical Garden in Galatz.
The stamp with the face value of lei 9.10 illustrates the Cross Hale (Hepatica transsilvanica Fuss), a plant found in the ”Dimitrie Brandza” Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest, a garden which celebrates 155 years of activity this year.
