Title page of Historia Plantarum John Ray 1686

''Historia Plantarum'' (''The History of Plants'') is a

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

book by

John Ray John Ray Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (November 29, 1627 – January 17, 1705) was a Christian England, English Natural history, naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his ...

, published in 1686.

Publication

''Historia Plantarum'' was published in three volumes: vol 1 in 1686, vol 2 in 1688, vol 3 in 1704. The third volume lacked plates, so Ray's assistant, the

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

James Petiver, published ''Petiver's Catalogue'', effectively a supplement containing the plates, in parts in 1715–1764. The work on the first two volumes was supported by subscriptions from the President and Fellows of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

Editions

* Ray, John (1686). ''Historia plantarum''. London: Clark
Vol 1

Vol 2

Vol 3

References

Sources

* * Raven, Charles E. (1950). ''John Ray, naturalist: his life and works''. Cambridge University Press. 1686 non-fiction books 1686 in science 1688 non-fiction books 1704 non-fiction books Botany books History of botany History of the Royal Society {{botany-book-stub