Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Progress of Botany in England. 2 Volume Set

Historical and Biographical Sketches of the Progress of Botany in England. From its Origin to the Introduction of the Linnaean System

This book is part of the Cambridge Library Collection – Life Sciences Series – an ongoing series of paperback reprints of important historical works.

Richard Pulteney (1730–1801) was a Leicestershire botanist and physician, whose lifelong interest in botany and natural history, and particularly his work on the new Linnaean system of botanical classification, led to publications in the Gentleman’s Magazine and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He corresponded with many influential figures, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1762. His book on Linnaeus, published in 1782, was later considered by J. E. Smith, the first president of the Linnaean Society, to be of great importance for the widespread adoption in England of the Linnaean system. His Progress of Botany, published in 1790, although not as popular, is still considered of importance for the study of the history of botanical science in England.
This two-volume work, published in 1790, is still relevant to the study of the history of botany.
Volume 1 begins in ‘primaeval’ and ‘druidical’ times and continues to the seventeenth century, including the first printed herbals and the work of the great botanist John Ray.
Volume 2 includes the development of botanical gardens, famous figures such as Dillenius and Sherard, and the study of botany in Scotland and Ireland.

The volumes are also available to buy individually – click on the images at the bottom of the page.