The ''Systematic census of Australian plants, with chronologic, literary and geographic annotations'', more commonly known as the ''Systematic Census of Australian Plants'', also known by its standard botanic abbreviation ''Syst. Census Austral. Pl.'', is a survey of the vascular flora of Australia prepared by Government botanist for the state of Victoria

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria, Australia ...

and published in 1882. Von Mueller describes the development of the census in the preface of the volume as an extension of the seven volumes of the ''

Flora Australiensis ''Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory'', more commonly referred to as ''Flora Australiensis'', and also known by its standard abbreviation ''Fl. Austral.'', is a seven-volume Flora of Australia published b ...

'' written by

George Bentham George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

. A new flora was necessary since as more areas of Australia were explored and settled, the flora of the island-continent became better collected and described. The first census increased the number of described species from the 8125 in ''Flora Australiensis'' to 8646. The book records all the known species indigenous to Australia and

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...

; with records of species distribution. Von Mueller noted that by 1882 it had become difficult to distinguish some introduced species from native ones:

The lines of demarkation between truly indigenous and more recently immigrated plants can no longer in all cases be drawn with precision; but whereas ''
Alchemilla vulgaris ''Alchemilla vulgaris'', common name Lady's mantle, is an herbaceous perennial plant in Europe and Greenland. These perennial wildflowers, members of the rose family, are sometimes grown in gardens - mainly for their leaves, which collect spark ...
'' and '' Veronica serpyllifolia'' were found along with several European Carices in untrodden parts of the
Australian Alps The Australian Alps are a mountain range in southeast Australia. The range comprises an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion,
during the author's earliest explorations, '' Alchemilla arvensis'' and '' Veronica peregrina'' were at first only noticed near settlements. The occurrence of ''
Arabis glabra ''Turritis glabra'', commonly known as tower rockcress or tower mustard, is a tall, slim, grey-green plant with small creamy flowers at the top of the stem. It usually grows on poor chalky or sandy soils, in open situations. It is native to Europ ...
'', '' Geum urbanum'', '' Agiimonia eupatoria'', ''
Eupatorium cannabinum ''Eupatorium cannabinum'', commonly known as hemp-agrimony, or holy rope, is a herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a robust Perennial plant, perennial native to Europe, NW. Africa, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the Caucasus and ...
'', '' Cavpesium cernuum'' and some others may therefore readily be disputed as indigenous, and some questions concerning the nativity of various of our plants will probably remain for ever involved in doubts.

In 1889 an updated edition of the census was published, the ''Second Systematic Census'' increased the number of described species to 8839.Orchard, A. E. 1999. Introduction. In A. E. Orchard, ed. ''Flora of Australia - Volume 1'', 2nd edition pp 1-9. Australian Biological Resources Study Von Mueller dedicated both works to

Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For 20 years he served as director of the Ro ...

and

Augustin Pyramus de Candolle Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss people, Swiss botany, botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple ...

. The work is of historic significance as the first Australian flora written in Australia. Following its publication, research and writing on the flora of Australia has largely been carried out in Australia.

References

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External links

Full text of the Systematic Census of Australian Plants from the Internet Archive
1882 non-fiction books Biological censuses Books about Australian natural history Florae (publication) Botany in Australia

See also

References

External links