6 Facts About The Flora Brasiliensis You Should Know
Uncover the story behind this groundbreaking flora, its creators, and its lasting impact on botanical knowledge.
Vol. XV, Part II, Fasc. 50 Plate 58 (1870-12-01)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
What does 'Flora brasiliensis' mean?
A 'Flora' is a type of publication that catalogs all plants occurring in a specific region. FLORA BRASILIENSIS (meaning the Flora of Brazil) was the first comprehensive publication for that country. It was the result of Spix and Martius' travels to Brazil in the 19th century.
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868) (1850) by E. PorrensOriginal Source: Wikimedia Commons
Who created it?
It was sponsored by the Emperors of Austria and Brazil and the King of Bavaria. Edited in Germany between 1840 and 1906 by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, August Wilhelm Eichler and Ignatz Urban, it featured contributions of 65 specialists from various countries.
Princess Therese of Bavaria (1850-1925)Original Source: Wikimedia Commons
The women
Of the 135 contributors listed in the Flora, only two are women: Maria Graham and Princess Therese of Bavaria, whose collected specimens were included in the entries.
Vol. IV, Part I, Fasc. 11 Column 1 - 2 (1832-08-15)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
It's Latin!
Similar to many earlier botanical books, the 'Flora brasiliensis' was written entirely in Latin.
Vol. XV, Part II, Fasc. 50 Plate 22 (1870-12-01)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
How many plants?
The 'Flora brasiliensis' comprises 15 volumes that were originally published as 140 individual fascicles. It catalogues 22,767 species, of which 19,629 were reported to occur in Brazil, and 5,689 were newly described to science.
Flora Brasiliensis: Vol. I, Part I, Fasc. See Urban Plate 28 (1906)CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental
The illustrations
The 'Flora brasiliensis' contains a total of 3,849 plates with plant illustrations. The first volume alone includes 59 high-quality lithographs, some of which were based on artworks by other artists, such as Rugendas and Ender.
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