An Account of a Book

An Account of a Book. VII. Flora Noribergensis, &c. being a Catalogue of such Plants as not only grow Spontaneously about Nuremberg, but also of such Exoticks as the Physick Garden of that City hath lately raised, with the Figures and Descriptions of many of the most rare, Opera Johannis Georgii Volckameri, M.D. Noriberg. 1700. 4to. p. 408. The Author dedicates this Book to Dr Peter Hotton and Dr Casper Commelin, two eminent Physicians, and very expert Herbarists, the first, Botanick Professor of the Leyden Physick Garden, the other of Amsterdam, having received several favours from them the last year, when he was to visit the curious Gardens in Holland. In his Preface to the Reader he says we must not wholly lay the Characteristical distinction of Plants, in the Seeds or Flowers alone, but oftentimes on the whole Plant, and to prove it he gives you some instances of 3 or 4 Plants whose Flower or Seed do not wholly answer the general Rule. He also advises the Lovers of Botany to be very wary in the distinction of the Planta Gymnospermae from the Angiospermae, especially such whose Flower produces but one Seed. The last generally are inclosed with a treble covering, whose outer Coat may be taken away without detriment to the Seed, which you cannot without prejudice do to the first or Gymnospermae, which have only two Skins: This he promises to demonstrate very clearly in some Tables he will suddenly publish in relation to the affinity of Plants, which he will bring into such a method, that many unknown Families, as well as single Plants, shall be hereby reduc'd into such a method, as will not easily admit of any Anomalous or Heteroclite Tribes. He concludes with a grateful acknowledgment of such Persons who have communicated either Plants or Seeds to him; amongst these, (besides the two before-mention'd) are Dr John Bohm, a Physician at Venice, and a Skilful Botanist. Dr Daniel Beckerus, very knowing in Anatomy and Botany, particularly in reducing Plants to their proper Classes. Dr John Mauritius Hoffman, Publick Professor of Anatomy, Chymistry and Botany in Altorf, a worthy Successor to his celebrated Father. Dr William Sherard, Fellow of St Johns in Oxford, who by his Travels abroad, has made vast acquisitions in Natural History, and particularly in Botany. Dr Christ. Theoph. Scheurl, chief Physician of Nuremberg, a person very expert in the knowledge of wild Plants about that City. Dr J. Baptista Triumphetti, Botanick Professor at Rome. D. Felix Abbas Vialis, Professor of the ancient Physick Garden at Padua. Amongst the Botanick Books, the Author mentions a Manuscript Herbal which he has, of that laborious Naturalist Conradus Gesner in 3 vol. containing the lively Paintings of Exotick as well as Alpine Plants, with short descriptions to them; the same Book I find lately taken notice of in Dr Tournefort's Institutiones Rei herbariae, p. 664. communicated to him by the afore-mentioned curious Botanist Dr Sherard, who saw it at Nuremberg in the Author's hands. Let us now bring you into the Garden, where at the same view you are entertained with variety of Plants both Foreign and Domestick, amongst them several very rare. These he ranges in an Alphabetical order, giving you several synonyms to each, particularly those of the two great Botanick Brothers, John and Caspar Banhines, Mat- Matthiolus, Columna, Clusius, with several other Foreigners, and in many places our also celebrated Countrymen, as Gerrard Parkinson, Johnson, with the worthy Mr Ray, Morison, Plukenet, Sloan, &c. He generally adds to each Plant its season of Flowring, and place where it naturally grows, and if a Native, where, and its German name, and whether Annual or Perennial, and sometimes a comparative distinction, and often whether evergreen, or loses its Leaves. To each Genus he gives you the several characteristicks of Mr Ray, Dr Morison, Herman, Amman and Rivinus, to which he adds a general description of each Species, with the Culture and best way of propagating, increasing and preserving each Foreign Plant; to many of the last he has given entire Descriptions, and also very good Figures, most of them being rare, it may not be amiss to give a Catalogue of them in the same Alphabetical order we find them. Althea African. frutescens fl. aureis cochleatis pendulis minoribus Fl. Norib. 24. fig. Apocynum humile aizoides Monstrosum Africanum. Fl. Nor. 39 fig. Aster Nove Angliae altissimus hirsutus floribus omnium maximis Fl. Nor. 50. fig. & P. B. Pr. Aster African. caeruleus fruticans foliis angustioribus rigidis Fl. Nor. 50. fig. Chrysanthemum Africanum frutescens spinosum Fl. Nor. 105. fig: Chrysanthemum Conyzoides Curassav. Abrotani fæm. flore aurantio F. Nor. 106. & P.B. pr app. Colutea Africana vesicaria vesiculis compressis flosculis atrorubentibus Fl. Nor. 118. fig. Dracocephalo affinis Americana trifoliata Terebinthinae odore Fl. Nor. 145 fig. Eichrvsum Afric. multiflorum tenuifolium frutescens Fl. Nor. 148. Ficoides seu Ficus humilis fol. triangulari lucido obtuso flore aureo Fl. Nor. 165. fig. Fi- Ficoides Africana procumbens latifolia annua floribus argenteis minoribus Fl. Nor. 166. fig. Gnaphalium Africanum fastidum latitolium maximum flore argenteo Fl. Nor. 194. fig. Gnaphalium Afric. floribus minimis albicantibus inodorum Fl. Nor. 194. fig. Jacobea Afric. fruticans oblongis foliis angustis integris incanis Fl. Nor. 224. fig. Jacobea Afric. Stæbes facie, flore ampliore, petalis radialibus trifidis Fl. Nor. 224. fig. Jacobea Afric. fruticescens fl. amplo purpureo elegantissimo, Senecionis folio Fl. Nor. 225. fig. Jacobea Afric. annua minor, Senecionis fol. florib. suave rubentibus Fl. Nor. 225 fig. Jacobea Afric. perennis, integro oblongo folio glauco Fl. Nor. 226. fig. Jacobea Afric. fruticans fol. Abrotani seu Crithmi major Fl. Nor. 225. fig. Jacobea Afric. fruticans fol. Abrotani seu Crithmi minor Fl. Nor. 225. Kali Aizoides Canariense procumbens, Portulacæ pallescens foliis succulentis foliis aspergine rorida perpetuo madidis Fl. Nor. 236. fig. Pluck. Tab. 303. fig. 4. Portulaca lanuginosa procumbens, vermiculatae foliis Americana. Fl. Nor. 341. fig. Sideritis incano oleæ folio, flosculis ex incarnato canescens foliis montis Libani Fl. Nor. 353. fig. Sinapi luteum Chelidonii Querno folio siliqua hirsuta Fl. Nor. 355. fig. Sinapi Syracum siliqua nodosa glabra, semine rufso Fl. Nor. 635. fig. Printed by Sam. Smith and Benj. Walford, Printers to the Royal Society, at the Princes Arms in St Paul's Church-yard. 1700.