Abstract

In this article,we studied the historical background of six major historicalbotanic gardens that were established by the Khedive Ismail (1863 - 1879) in the second half of 19^th century in Cairo city, and report their floristic composition. These gardens were Zohriya, Aquarium, Ezbekiya, The Zoo, Orman and Horreya. In addition, the present status of these six gardens was addressed in particular, area, land use, landscape architecture and the taxonomic diversity of the plants growing in each garden. The distribution patterns of the recorded species were also presented using the multivariate analysis techniques (classification and ordination). An updated annotated list of cultivated species in these gardens will be provided.

Key words: Cultivated plants, urban flora, botanical and historical gardens, national parks, Egypt.