Domingo Bello y Espinosa facts for kids

Domingo Bello y Espinosa (born July 31, 1817, in La Laguna, Canary Islands – died January 21, 1884) was a Spanish expert in plants, known as a botanist, and also a lawyer. He spent his life studying and writing about the amazing plant life of the Canary Islands and Puerto Rico.

Early Life and Education

Domingo Bello y Espinosa was born on July 31, 1817, in a city called La Laguna, located in the Canary Islands. These islands are part of Spain. He studied at the University of San Fernando, where he earned a special degree called a doctorate. This meant he had studied a lot and was an expert in his field. After his studies, he worked as a secretary for a group of lawyers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife from 1845 to 1847.

Adventures in Puerto Rico

In 1850, Domingo Bello y Espinosa moved to Puerto Rico, which is an island in the Caribbean. There, he continued his work as a lawyer and was very successful. While living in Puerto Rico, he became good friends with Leopold Krug. Leopold Krug was a German consul, which means he was a representative for Germany in another country. Like Domingo, Leopold Krug also loved plants and was an amateur botanist. An amateur botanist is someone who studies plants as a hobby, not as their main job.

Together, Domingo and Leopold explored Puerto Rico. They collected many different kinds of plants that grew naturally on the island. As they collected, Domingo took many detailed notes about each plant they found. These notes would become very important later on.

His Important Books

In 1880, Domingo Bello y Espinosa returned to his hometown of La Laguna. He used all the notes and plants he had collected in Puerto Rico to write a very important book. This book was called "Apuntes Para la Flora de Puerto Rico" (Notes for the Flora of Puerto Rico). It was published in two parts, one in 1881 and the other in 1883.

This book was like a big list of all the plants he found in Puerto Rico. It described 964 different types of plants! It was a huge help for other scientists who wanted to learn about the plants of the island. Sadly, the actual plant samples he collected in Puerto Rico were later destroyed by insects.

Domingo Bello y Espinosa also wrote another book in 1880. This book was called "Un Jardín Canario" (A Canary Garden). It was a book of prose, which means it was written in ordinary language, like a story or an essay, rather than poetry.