Theatrum Botanicum

2023-01-10T15:34:35-05:00

Immense volume, consisting of 1,688 pages and approximately 3,800 plant descriptions. Theatricum Botanicum is the magnum opus of John Parkinson (1567-1650), an early English herbalist, apothecary, and botanist. It is the most comprehensive treatise on plants of its day, and the first to describe 33 plants native to the United Kingdom, including the Welsh Poppy ( Papaver cambricum), Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo), and the Lady’s Slipper ( Cypripedioideae). The plants are classified according to their pharmacological properties, of which there is a comprehensive index, as Parkinson intended the book to be a guide for working apothecaries. The work is filled with woodcut prints illustrating the various flora. The digitization includes a minor selection of pages from this monumental work.