Open As a Single Document
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
British and Colonial Naturalists Respond to an Enlightenment Creed, 1727–1777
“So Many Things for His Profit and for His Pleasure”: British and Colonial Naturalists Respond to an Enlightenment Creed, 1727–1777 N MAY OF 1773 the Pennsylvania farmer and naturalist John Bartram (1699–1777) wrote to the son of his old colleague Peter Collinson I(1694–1768), the London-based merchant, botanist, and seed trader who had passed away nearly five years earlier, to communicate his worry over the “extirpation of the native inhabitants” living within American forests.1 Michael Collinson returned Bartram’s letter in July of that same year and was stirred by the “striking and curious” observations made by his deceased father’s friend and trusted natural historian from across the Atlantic. The relative threat to humanity posed by the extinction of species generally remained an unresolved issue in the minds of most eighteenth-century naturalists, but the younger Collinson was evidently troubled by the force of Bartram’s remarks. Your comments “carry Conviction along with them,” he wrote, “and indeed I cannot help thinking but that in the period you mention notwithstanding the amazing Recesses your prodigious Continent affords many of the present Species will become extinct.” Both Bartram and Collinson were anxious about certain changes to the environment engendered by more than a century of vigorous Atlantic trade in the colonies’ indigenous flora and fauna. Collinson 1 The terms botanist and naturalist carry different connotations, but are generally used interchange- ably here. Botanists were essentially those men that used Linnaeus’s classification to characterize plant life. They were part of the growing cadre of professional scientists in the eighteenth century who endeavored to efface irrational forms of natural knowledge, i.e., those grounded in folk traditions rather than empirical data. -
“Jogging Along with and Without James Logan: Early Plant Science in Philadelphia”
1 Friday, 19 September 2014, 1:30–3:00 p.m.: Panel II: “Leaves” “Jogging Along With and Without James Logan: Early Plant Science in Philadelphia” Joel T. Fry, Bartram's Garden Presented at the ― James Logan and the Networks of Atlantic Culture and Politics, 1699-1751 conference Philadelphia, PA, 18-20 September 2014 Please do not cite, quote, or circulate without written permission from the author These days, John Bartram (1699-1777) and James Logan (1674-1751) are routinely recognized as significant figures in early American science, and particularly botanic science, even if exactly what they accomplished is not so well known. Logan has been described by Brooke Hindle as “undoubtedly the most distinguished scientist in the area” and “It was in botany that James Logan made his greatest contribution to science.” 1 Raymond Stearns echoed, “Logan’s greatest contribution to science was in botany.”2 John Bartram has been repeatedly crowned as the “greatest natural botanist in the world” by Linnaeus no less, since the early 19th century, although tracing the source for that quote and claim can prove difficult.3 Certainly Logan was a great thinker and scholar, along with his significant political and social career in early Pennsylvania. Was Logan a significant botanist—maybe not? John Bartram too may not have been “the greatest natural botanist in the world,” but he was very definitely a unique genius in his own right, and almost certainly by 1750 Bartram was the best informed scientist in the Anglo-American world on the plants of eastern North America. There was a short period of active scientific collaboration in botany between Bartram and Logan, which lasted at most through the years 1736 to 1738. -
Linnaeus' and Magnolia's 250Th Formal Anniversary
ISSUE 73 Linnaeus' and Magnolia's 250m Formal Anniversary Nisse vsn Nanna I have no idea what Americans do on the first of May but in Europe it's Labour Day, on which day we, strangely enough, do not work. This year it is also the day that we celebrate the a5o anniversary of Linnaeus' Species Plantarum and at first sight these two events don't have anything in common. That is, until you begin to realise what tremendous labour it must have been for Linnaeus to compile those two volumes: the preparation of the definite version of the manuscript alone took him over a year and that was after he finished assembling his notes and having written a first draft. It is well documented that Linnaeus was literally exhausted when he finally bmught the manuscript to the printer. In this light, it was not at all a bad idea to call this date Labour Day. This first edition of Species Plantaruvt has later become the starting point for bo- tanical nomenclature. For us, it is of interest because Linnaeus included accounts on Liriodevdrov, Magnolia, and Michelia in the Species and anyone who's interested in the history of the naming of our favourite plants sooner or later will want to consult this work. This artide is on the origin of the Species Plan tarum and on the sources Linnaeus used for the names of Magnoliaceae avant ia lettre. Early history of the Species Plsntsrnm The preparation of the Species had begun as early as 1732 when Carl Linnaeus (iyo7-i778) was identifying plant specimens he had collected in Lapland and felt the need for a comprehensive work. -
A Nomenclatural Summary of the Plant and Animal Names Based on Images in Mark Catesby’S Natural History (1729–1747)
Reveal, J.L. 2012. A nomenclatural summary of the plant and animal names based on images in Mark Catesby’s Natural History (1729–1747). Phytoneuron 2012-11: 1–32. Published 1 February 2012. ISSN 2153 733X A NOMENCLATURAL SUMMARY OF THE PLANT AND ANIMAL NAMES BASED ON IMAGES IN MARK CATESBY’S NATURAL HISTORY (1729–1747) JAMES L. REVEAL L.H. Bailey Hortorium Department of Plant Biology Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4301 e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The English naturalist Mark Catesby is best known for his two volume work entitled Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands wherein he described and illustrated numerous plants and animals found mainly in the eastern North American English colonies of Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Bahamas. This monumental work, published in parts from 1729 until 1747, became an important source of new species described by the Swedish natural Carl Linnaeus in the 1750s and 1760s. The summary presented here attempts to account for all instances where a new taxon was proposed wherein a reference was made by the author of the name to a published plate in Catesby. The nomenclatural status of each image is evaluated with a footnote providing a reference to both where the name was proposed and who, in the case of plants, designated a lectotype. Images are not considered to be types under the rules governing zoological nomenclature. No attempt is made here to account for the subsequent neotypification of names established under that code. KEY WORDS: Mark Catesby, nomenclature, typification, North America The English naturalist and artist, Mark Catesby, was born on 24 March 1683 (Julian) in the village of the Castle Hedingham, Essex, as the fifth son of John Catesby, a lawyer, and Elizabeth Jekyll, the daughter of a prosperous family of lawyers. -
The Vascular Plants in the Mark Catesby Collection at the Sloane Herbarium, with Notes on Their Taxonomic and Ecological Significance
McMillan, P.D., A.H. Blackwell, C. Blackwell, and M.A. Spencer. 2013. The vascular plants in the Mark Catesby collection at the Sloane Herbarium, with notes on their taxonomic and ecological significance. Phytoneuron 2013-7: 1–37. Published 28 January 2013. ISSN 2153 733X THE VASCULAR PLANTS IN THE MARK CATESBY COLLECTION AT THE SLOANE HERBARIUM, WITH NOTES ON THEIR TAXONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE PATRICK D. MCMILLAN School of Agriculture, Forestry, and the Environment Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina AMY HACKNEY BLACKWELL School of Agriculture, Forestry, and the Environment Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina Corresponding author: [email protected] CHRISTOPHER BLACKWELL Department of Classics Furman University Greenville, South Carolina MARK A. SPENCER Natural History Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD, UK ABSTRACT We provide a list of all vascular plant specimens collected in the Carolinas and Georgia by Mark Catesby that are housed in the Sloane Herbarium at the Natural History Museum, London. We present the identifications along with notes on the significance of selected specimens. We also describe the process of digitizing the specimens and discuss the potential benefits of an integrated digital library of historical botany. Catesby’s specimens provide insight into the nature of the flora of the Carolinas and Georgia prior to extensive modification by European immigrants. Through comparison with modern ranges these plants may help to shed light on the routes that Catesby might have travelled as well as pinpointing some areas that he visited. They also serve as a good reference for assessing the native ranges of several problematic taxa. Catesby’s specimens are of special interest due to their taxonomic relevance when viewed as supporting material for the color plates contained in Catesby’s two-volume Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands , which was extensively cited by Linnaeus. -
A Brief Note on the Authorship of the First Flora Virginica: Clayton, Gronovius and Linnaeus Joan K
Virginia Journal of Science Volume 55 Number 3 Fall 2004 A Brief Note on the Authorship of the First Flora Virginica: Clayton, Gronovius and Linnaeus Joan K. Stemmler, Ph. D., Independent Scholar, R.R. 1, Box 676, Roseland, VA 22967 ABSTRACT A modem Flora of Virginia will soon be published, providing an occasion to remember the publication of the first Flora Virginica in the 18th century and to establish the proper attribution of its authorship. Based on a manuscript by John Clayton, Flora Virginica was published in two parts in 1739 and 1743 by the Dutchman Johan Frederick Gronovius. Although both names are printed on the title page, the book is often cited with Gronovius listed as the author. This tradition, interpreted in modem understandings of plagiarism, has led to ·an assertion that Gronovius misrepresented Clayton's work as his own. This paper will review the cultural milieu and historical context of the publication. The discovery of an 18th century watercolor drawing with an inscription assigning Flora Virginica to Clayton and evidence from a letter shows that contemporaries regarded the book either as Clayton's or as a joint enterprise. It is suggested that Gronovius be understood as an advocate willing to publish Clayton's work in what he considered to be the most modem VirginiaLinnaean Journal taxonomic of Science, Vol. system 55, No. when 3, 2004 self-publication washttps://digitalcommons.odu.edu/vjs/vol55/iss3 all but impossible for Clayton. The book should be referenced as by Clayton and Gronovius. INTRODUCTION With the publication of a modem Flora of Virginia describing and illustrating more than 3 700 vascular plant taxa in Virginia now on its way to realization (Flora of Virginia Project, Inc. -
HUNTIA a Journal of Botanical History
HUNTIA A Journal of Botanical History VOLUME 16 NUMBER 2 2018 Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, a research division of Carnegie Mellon University, specializes in the history of botany and all aspects of plant science and serves the international scientific community through research and documentation. To this end, the Institute acquires and maintains authoritative collections of books, plant images, manuscripts, portraits and data files, and provides publications and other modes of information service. The Institute meets the reference needs of botanists, biologists, historians, conservationists, librarians, bibliographers and the public at large, especially those concerned with any aspect of the North American flora. Huntia publishes articles on all aspects of the history of botany, including exploration, art, literature, biography, iconography and bibliography. The journal is published irregularly in one or more numbers per volume of approximately 200 pages by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. External contributions to Huntia are welcomed. Page charges have been eliminated. All manuscripts are subject to external peer review. Before submitting manuscripts for consideration, please review the “Guidelines for Contributors” on our Web site. Direct editorial correspondence to the Editor. Send books for announcement or review to the Book Reviews and Announcements Editor. All issues are available as PDFs on our Web site. Hunt Institute Associates may elect to receive Huntia as a benefit of membership; contact the Institute for more information. Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation Carnegie Mellon University 5th Floor, Hunt Library 4909 Frew Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 Telephone: 412-268-2434 Email: [email protected] Web site: http://www.huntbotanical.org Editor and layout Scarlett T. -
New Light on Mark Catesby 349
¾o1.1937 5•'1J ALLEN,New Light on Mark Catesby 349 NEW LIGHT ON MARK CATESBY BY ELSA G. ALLEN, PH.D. Plate œ3 F•w of the early naturalistshave left so worthy and so substantiala contributionto scienceand yet suchmeager details of their biographiesas hasMark Cateshy. In fact, it hasoften been said that it wouldbe difficult, if not impossible,to trace out the story of his life from the scantsources available. The progressof this study has thereforebeen disappointingly slow, but throughthe aid of the AmericanCouncil of LearnedSocieties, the AmericanPhilosophical Society and a fellowshipfrom Alpha Omicron Pi Society,ofwhich I am a member,I havebeen able to seekout in England a fewdetails of Catesby'slife whileworking on the generalproblem of pre- AudubonJanornithology. The publishedmatter on this earlynaturalist is unfortunatelylimited to a few shortarticles, two by Dr. WitruerStone ('Bird-Lore,' vol. 7, 1905,and 'The Auk,' October1929)and brief accounts in the'Dictionaries of National Biography'and 'AmericanBiography' as well asin the olderstandard works of this type. In addition,there are a few scatteredmentions of Cateshyin the 'VirginiaMagazine' and other Southernjournals. With thesefew basicarticles to work from it has beena great help to meeta collateraldescendant of Mark Cateshy,Mr. T. CateshyJones of New York, for putting me in touchwith whomI am indebtedto Mr. Alexander Sprunt of Charleston,South Carolina. To Mr. JonesI am indebted for informationregarding the whereaboutsof someof Catesby'sletters and othermatter. He is the donor,many -
Catesby's World: England
Catesby's World: England The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Browne, Janet E. 2015. "Catesby's World: England." In The Curious Mister Catesby: A "Truly Ingenious" Naturalist Explores New Worlds. University of Georgia Press, ed. E. Charles Nelson and David J. Elliott. Published Version http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/curious_mister_catesby Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34305984 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#OAP 1 Catesby’s World: England Janet Browne Mark Catesby’s achievements connect him so closely to the early history of North America that it is sometimes hard to think of him as an Englishman, born and bred, and generally resident in England. His career, prospects, and financial livelihood were firmly based in England. As such, he lived through a period of great religious and political upheaval, set into motion by the abdication of catholic King James II, following which William and Mary and three other protestant sovereigns took the throne in turn, and Anglicanism became established as the state religion. During this time England and Scotland were united into Great Britain, and the War of Spanish Succession was fought in the British colonies of North America. England lost much of Florida and Canada to rival European nations. -
An Annotated Bibliography on Southeastern American Botanical Explorers Prior to 1821
An Annotated Bibliography on Southeastern American Botanical Explorers Prior to 1821 by Ronald W. Gilmour A Master's paper submitted to the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. Chapel Hill, North Carolina March, 1999 Approved by: ___________________________ Advisor 1 Ronald W. Gilmour. An Annotated Bibliography on Southeastern American Botanical Explorers Prior to 1821. A Master's paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. March, 1999. 133 pages. Advisor: Jerry Saye This paper lists published sources pertaining to the lives and work of seventy individuals who contributed to early botanical knowledge of the southeastern United States. General sources, primarily biographical compilations and scientific bibliographies, are listed at the beginning of the paper, followed by entries for the individual botanists. Each entry gives name (with any variants), place and year of birth and death, location of manuscripts and plant specimens, citations for published portraits and handwriting samples, and lists any plant or fungal genera which were named for the botanist. Works both by and about each botanist are listed with annotations. Headings: Botanical-literature-Bibliography Historical-literature-Bibliography Biography-Bibliography 2 Early Southeastern Botany: An Overview The earliest explorers to describe the flora of the Southeast were not trained botanists, and were often driven by economic rather than scientific motives. Consequently, their descriptions may be colored by the desire to either promote or discourage further exploration (see especially Lindgren, 1972, cited under John Lawson). -
Spreading Roots by CORA L
Spreading Roots by CORA L. WARREN When the Pilgrims landed in America in 1620, though the coast was "stem and rock-bound," and the immediate vicinity "full of woods and thickets" (Bradford, 1897), the Northeast was by no means cov- ered by forest. As Betty F. Thomson points out, almost without ex- ception the earliest explorers and settlers commented on the treeless areas they saw, from the Saco Valley south as far as and beyond the Hudson, and up into the river valleys of New York State. Verrazano, travelling from Narragansett Bay in 1564, reported "open plains twenty-five or thirty leagues in extent, entirely free from trees or other hindrances." In what are now our Southern states the same open plains existed. These great tracts had been cleared by the Indians for their farming, and the underbrush in the forests was set on fire every spring to im- prove the growth of grass necessary to game animals. Edward Hyams observes that had the Pilgrims made their land- fall further north, in Maine, they would have found cultivated orchards of apples and pears, planted a good ten years before their arrival by the Baron de Saint-Castine and his French colony. Indeed, the French in Canada initiated the flow of plants eastward. Many Cora L. Warren is an active volunteer at the Arnold Arboretum. She has been instrumental in putting on several popular exhibits, including her most recent, "Spreading Roots". Mrs. Warren is an avid gardener, both in Massachusetts and Ireland. 311 312 of the plants the English settlers found in New England already were growing in the Jardin du Roi in Paris.