Philadelphia Trees and Botanical Art in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries

Introduction

In 1818, Penn professor and Academy member William P. C. Barton published his Compendium Florae Philadelphicae, in which he described 72 trees as indigenous and naturalized in Philadelphia. Barton's primary resources were handsomely illustrated books by European authors, and his references to the botanical art in these works added significantly to the brief descriptions in his flora.

The Academy's Ewell Sale Stewart Library and Archives owns copies of these famous botanical treasures, and Alfred E. Schuyler, the Academy's Curator of Botany Emeritus, has selected a number of them to tell the story of the resources available to Barton and other early Philadelphia botanists for plant identification. They are still valuable today to confirm the identities of late 18th and early 19th century Philadelphia trees.

Abbots' Lepidoptera (1797)

James Edward Smith. The natural history of the rarer lepidoterous insects of Georgia. Including their systematic characters, the particulars of their several metamorphoses, and the plants on which they feed. Collected from the observation of Mr. John Abbot, many years resident in that country. London: printed by T. Bensley, for J. Edwards, 1797. 2 vols.

John Abbot's work on Georgia insects, edited by J. E. Smith, is a contribution to botany as well as entomology. Included with his drawing of the orange white-spot moth is a branch of Quercus velutina, commonly known as black oak.

In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton recognizes two species of black oaks, one with "very slightly scalloped leaves," and one with "pinnatifid scalloped leaves." He refers to the latter as Quercus discolor and cites Abbot's drawing of it. Botanists no longer use these distinctions as criteria for recognizing two species. They now consider Quercus velutina to be a species with variable leaves, which may be "very slightly scalloped" or "pinnatifid scalloped."

Barton states that the species with "slightly scalloped" leaves grows "In the hilly woods of our neighbourhood" and the species with "pinnatifid scalloped" leaves resembles it very much and is often found with it. Today black oaks occur throughout Fairmount Park, but probably are less abundant than in the past.

Barton's Compendium (1818)

William P.C. Barton. Compendium floræ philadelphicæ: containing a description of the indigenous and naturalized plants found within a circuit of ten miles around Philadelphia. Philadelphia: M. Carey and son, 1818. 2 vols.

William Barton's Compendium is in a format similar to that used by the eminent naturalist Carl Linnaeus. The arrangement follows Linnaeus's sexual system, specific epithets are marginal to brief descriptions, synonyms are listed, and references to illustrations are given. The brief descriptions focus on leaf, flower, and fruit characters, and often lack readily observable characters more useful for identification. The referenced illustrations are a valuable supplement to the descriptions, but unfortunately, most of them are in European publications—many of them lavish—that were unavailable to most Americans.

Barton's Vegetable Materia Medica (1817-18)

William P. C. Barton. Vegetable materia medica of the United States, or, Medical botany: containing a botanical, general, and medical history, of medicinal plants indigenous to the United States: illustrated by coloured engravings, made after original drawings from nature, done by the author. Philadelphia: Printed and published by M. Carey & Son, 1817-1818. 2 vols.

In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites a few books by American authors, including his own two-volume work on medicinal plants. As was the case with many early botanists, Barton was also a physician, and served as a surgeon in the United States Navy.

In the text with his drawing of Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree), he writes "This magnificent tree may be considered not only as the pride and ornament of the American forest, but as the most superb vegetable of the temperate zones" and that "the bark of the tulip-tree is considerably stimulant."

In his 1818 Compendium, he says it is "On the borders of rich woods, and in fields; common." Today it is the dominant forest tree in Fairmount Park.

Catesby's Natural History (1731-43)

Mark Catesby. The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants: particularly the forest-trees, shrubs, and other plants, not hitherto described, or very incorrectly figured by authors. Together with their descriptions in English and French. To which, are added observations on the air, soil, and waters: with remarks upon agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, &c. London: 1731-43. 2 vols.

The published colored drawings of Mark Catesby, English traveler and naturalist, are cited in the works of many botanists, including Linnaeus. In his extensive travels in the southeastern United States, Catesby found and drew the rare rose-colored form of Cornus florida or flowering dogwood, and included it with his drawing of the "Mock-Bird" displayed here. In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites Catesby's drawing, but does not mention color. He writes that the dogwood "so very common in all our woods…is one of the greatest ornaments" and that its medicinal virtues are "tonic and antiseptic." Today the flowering dogwood occasionally occurs as an understory forest tree in Fairmount Park.

Curtis' Botanical Magazine (1808)

Flower-Garden Displayed: in which The most Ornamental Foreign plants, cultivated in the Open Ground, the Green-House, and the Stove, are accurately represented in their natural Colours… continued by John Sims. London: Printed by Stephen Couchman, 1808.

William Curtis, English botanist, entomologist, and editor, founded Curtis's Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed: in which The most Ornamental Foreign plants, cultivated in the Open Ground, the Green-House, and the Stove, are accurately represented in their natural Colours. The famous British artist Sydenham Edwards did the drawing of Catalpa bignonioides (called by Sims Catalpa syringifolia-common catalpa) displayed here. The text credits Mark Catesby for introducing it into English gardens about the year 1728. In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites Edward's drawing with his description of the "Catalpa-tree" and states that it is "difficult to ascertain whether it has not been originally planted near the places where it is now so abundantly found, in the vicinity of this city." Botanists now consider Catalpa bignonioides as native to the southern United States and introduced in the Philadelphia area. Barton further states that it occurs "On the banks of the Delaware, and Schuylkill, and elsewhere; common." Today there are scattered sites for it in Fairmount Park.

Dillenius' Hortus Elthamensis (1732)

Johann Jakob Dillenius. Hortus Elthamensis seu, plantarum rariorum quas in horto suo Elthami in Cantio coluit vir ornatissimus et praestantissimus Jacobus Sherard…Guilielmi P. M. frater, delineationes et descriptiones quarum historia vel plane non, vel imperfecte a rei herbariae scriptoribus tradita fuit. London: 1732. 2 vols.

In his Hortus Elthamensis, the German-born British botanist Johann Dillen described and illustrated American plants growing in the Eltham garden of James Sherard in Kent, England. William Barton cites the uncolored engraving of Toxicodendron vernix (poison sumac) displayed here in his 1818 Philadelphia flora. He writes that it is a "very poisonous arborescent species, known well by…its effects on those who go within the sphere of its influence," and states that it grows "In deep swampy thickets in Jersey, not uncommon. In the swamp near Kaighn's Point, abundant."

The swamp near Kaighn's Point in Camden is now gone, as are the "abundant" trees of Toxicodendron. This species still occurs at scattered sites in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, but is not known from Philadelphia.

Aylmer Lambert's Pines (1838)

Aylmer Lambert. A description of the genus pinus, with directions relative to the cultivation, and remarks on the use of the several species; also descriptions of many other new species of the family of coniferae. London: Weddell, 1832. 2 vols.

This book is a later edition of Aylmer Lambert's classic work, A Description of the Genus Pinus, originally published in 1803. William Barton used the 1803 edition, which is a large folio with much larger illustrations.

In his 1818 flora, Barton reports that the tree illustrated in the upper left and to the right —called Pinus nigra by Lambert and now recognized as Picea mariana or black spruce— grows "On the Wissahickon" where it is "not common." It is presently unknown in the wild from eastern Pennsylvania south of the Poconos, where it grows in bogs. Most of the bog plants usually associated with this tree are also unknown from the Wissahickon. Barton and Lambert mention the use of this tree for brewing spruce beer, and Benjamin Franklin had a recipe for it. One possible explanation for the reported occurrence of black spruce in Philadelphia is that it was planted for brewing beer.

François Michaux's Oaks

François André Michaux. The North American sylva, or A description of the forest trees, of the United States, Canada and Nova Scotia. Considered particularly with respect to their use in the arts and their introduction into commerce; to which is added a description of the most useful of the European forest trees. Paris: C. d'Hautel. 1817-1819.

Nuttall, Thomas. The North American Sylva; or, A description of the forest trees of the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia, not described in the work of F. Andrew Michaux, and containing all the forest trees discovered in the Rocky Mountains, the Territory of Oregon, down to the shores of the Pacific and into the confines of California, as well as in various parts of the United States. Philadelphia: J. Dobson. 1842-1849.

These oak drawings, mounted on red linen by R. P. Smith in 1854, are the same as those in François Michaux's North American Sylva, a three-volume treatment of North American trees published in 1817-1819, and Thomas Nuttall's three volume supplement published in 1842-1849. Many the illustrations in Michaux's work were cited by William Barton in his 1818 Philadelphia flora, although he saw them in an earlier French version Histoire des arbres forestiers de l'Amerique Septentrionale, published in 1810-1813.

François Michaux's Sylva (Paris, 1819)

François André Michaux. The North American sylva, or A description of the forest trees, of the United States, Canada and Nova Scotia. Considered particularly with respect to their use in the arts and their introduction into commerce; to which is added a description of the most useful of the European forest trees. Paris: Printed by C. d'Hautel, 1819. 2 vols.

François Michaux's North American Sylva is the foundation of American Forestry. This book is an amended translation of his Histoire des arbres forestiers de l'Amerique Septentrionale, published in 1810-1813, and contains all of the illustrations in that work. Thus, the illustrations in Michaux's Histoire that William Barton cites in his 1818 Philadelphia flora are also in this book.

The drawing displayed here by P. Bessa is Quercus michauxii, commonly known as the swamp chestnut oak. Michaux called it chestnut white oak. Thomas Nuttall named it for François Michaux in 1818.

In his book, Michaux writes that this tree "is first seen within ten miles of Philadelphia; but it is less multiplied and less amply developed than farther south." Barton gives its Philadelphia locality as "On the banks of the Schuylkill, above the falls." Today Quercus michauxii does not occur in Pennsylvania. It is a widespread species of the southern United States and reaches the northern limit of its range in New Jersey.

François Michaux was the son of André Michaux and was elected a corresponding member of the Academy in 1818.

François Michaux's Sylva
(Philadelphia, 1817–19)

François André Michaux. The North American sylva, or A description of the forest trees, of the United States, Canada and Nova Scotia. Considered particularly with respect to their use in the arts and their introduction into commerce; to which is added a description of the most useful of the European forest trees. Philadelphia: Sold by Thomas Dobson [and] Solomon Conrad; Paris: Printed by C. d’Hautel. 1817-1819. 3 vols. in 7.

In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites the illustration of Morus rubra (red mulberry) in François Michaux’s Histoire des arbres forestiers de l’Amerique Septentrionale, published in 1810-1813. Michaux uses the same illustration by P. Bessa here in North American Sylva, the English version of his earlier work.

Barton states that “The red mulberry tree is well known,” and that it occurs “On the borders of fields in the neighbourhood.” Today the red mulberry is a rare tree in Philadelphia. However, the introduced Morus alba (white mulberry), not included in Barton’s flora, is common throughout the city.

A proof print (now in the Academy’s Archives) of the red mulberry from Histoire des arbres of 1810 is shown to the left.

Muhlenberg's Willows (1806)

Annals of botany. London: Printed by R. Taylor and Co. for Charles Konig and John Sims, 1805-1806.

The eminent American botanist Henry Muhlenberg published an account of American willows in this British journal in 1806. Publishing manuscripts with illustrations in the United States was difficult during this time period, and it was easier for Americans to publish in Europe.

In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites Muhlenberg's drawing displayed here (figure 1, plate 5) of Salix discolor, commonly known as the pussy willow. He writes that this shrub or small tree occurs "In low swampy woods, nine miles south-west of Philadelphia, not unfrequent." Today this species is widely distributed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but is not known from Philadelphia.

Plukenet's Phytographia (1769)

Leonard Plukenet. Phytographia, sive stirpium illustriorum et minus cognitarum icones, tabulis aeneis summa diligentia elaboratae, quarum unaquaque titulis descriptoriis ex notis suis propriis et characteristicis desumtis insignita, ab aliis ejusdem sortis facile discriminantur. London: 1769.

This copiously illustrated volume by British botanist Leonard Plukenet—originally published in 1691-1692—contains over 2,700 figures. Botanists have frequently cited these figures from the 17th century to the present.

In his 1818 Philadelphia flora, William Barton cites Plukenet's illustration displayed here (figure 4 in tabula XLVI) as Crataegus coccinea, which is in accordance with his brief description. Based on the research of Academy botanist and hawthorn specialist, James Macklin, the Plukenet illustration is Crataegus coccinea or a species closely related to it. Barton states that it is rare in the Philadelphia area, which appears to also be the case today.

Trew's Selected Plants (1750-73)

Christoph Jacob Trew. Plantae selectae quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini, in hortis curiosorum nutrita, manu artificiosa doctaque pinxit. Georgius Dionysius Ehret. Nuremberg: 1750-1773.

The German physician and botanist Christoph Trew published outstanding drawings of the distinguished German botanical artist Georg Ehret in his Plantae Selectae.

Barton cites the illustration of the hawthorn displayed here under his description of Crataegus crus-galli, the cockspur hawthorn. However, the plant illustrated (here called Mespilus caroliniana) is not Crataegus crus-galli, which is one of the easiest hawthorns to recognize in this taxonomically difficult genus. Instead, it resembles the dotted hawthorn, Crataegus punctata, a species presently known from the Philadelphia area. Barton's description of Crataegus crus-galli, however, is in accord with the current interpretation of the species. Thus, his citation of this illustration as Crataegus crus-galli appears to have been a mental lapse.