Flora Virginica

An exhibit in the Special Collections reading room from February 5, 2018 - March 16, 2018, coinciding with the Flora of Virginia exhibit at the Massey Herbarium. The display included an original Flora Virginica (1762) and a reproduction Flora Virginica (1946) made for the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard, both on loan from the Flora of Virginia Project.

Flora Virginica was the most comprehensive compendium of Virginia plants at its time - and remained the most comprehensive one in existence for over 200 years. In 2013, the Flora of Virginia project published a new edition - in English (the original was in Latin).

Also on display were two Mark Catesby prints from his “Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands” depicting some of the plants in the books. These were framed reprints from 1771 on loan from the Garden Club of Virginia. The prints on display were The Summer Red-Bird and The Western Plane Tree (Summer Tanager & American Sycamore) and The Red Start and The Black Walnut.