Links

Index to American Botanical Literature

The Index contains entries dealing with various aspects of extant and fossil American plants and fungi, including systematics and floristics, morphology, and ecology, as well as economic botany and general botany (publications dealing with botanists, herbaria, etc.).

Botany online - The Internet Hypertextbook

A rapidly growing English translation of this excellent German site. The first 30 themes have been transferred into English so far and translation of the other themes will proceed continuously. However, many of the links are still targeted to the German Information units.

Botanical Links

A wide range of botanical information on the Internet, mostly focussed on contemporary scientific research, but with some historical material.

Selected Botanical WWW Sites

These WWW links are useful to plant systematic work in Florida and herbarium collection care. The list is not intended to be comprehensive. Mainly about contemporary scientific research, but with some historical material.

The Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI)

The Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) was founded in 1836 and has played a central role in the botanical community for 160 years. We are a society offering its members, whether beginners or seasoned professionals, services and a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. Our aim The aim of the BSBI is to gain a better understanding of British and Irish plants and their distribution, and to use this knowledge to help in their conservation. Our trees and wildflowers, our ferns and grasses, in all their natural diversity and beauty, are priceless assets that enhance the lives of everyone. The BSBI welcomes as members all those with an interest in, or concern for, our wild plants and flowers.

Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries

The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Inc. (CBHL) is an international organization of individuals, organizations and institutions concerned with the development, maintenance and use of libraries of botanical and horticultural literature. The purpose of CBHL is to initiate and improve communication and coordinate activities and programs of mutual interest and benefit to its membership.

Demons in Eden (plant diversity)

Demons in Eden is a work of popular science which explores questions about plant diversity using the latest scientific theories and discoveries of evolutionary biology and ecology applied to plants. It includes some historical material about Hooker and Darwin. The website allows visitors to read excerpts from the book including complete chapters from the book.

Historica Botanica

Daniel Weinstock’s botanical blog is dedicated to information and material related to the history of botany particularly in the 19th and 20th century English speaking world. He welcome contributions.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The official website of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, includes some information about their history as well as details of how to contact their library and archives staff.

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI)

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of all seed plants. Its goal is to eliminate the need for repeated reference to primary sources for basic bibliographic information about plant names. The data are freely available and are gradually being standardized and checked. IPNI will be a dynamic resource, depending on direct contributions by all members of the botanical community.

The database is also invaluable for historians because it tells you who first named plants and where and when they published them.

Internet Directory for Botany

A wide variety of botanical links, mostly focussed on contemporary scientific research, but with some historical material.

Lefalophodon: History of Evolutionary Biology

This is an informal and incomplete guide to the history of evolutionary biology from about 1800 to about 1950. It is maintained by John Alroy. Its main emphases are on the late 19th century and on paleontology. However, he hopes to see the coverage become more comprehensive in the near future.

Scott’s Botanical Links

More and more sites on the Internet are devoted to the study of plants. This site is an amazingly comprehensive effort to compile useful botany education resources for the advanced high school (AP-biology) and college level. Internet resources vary in quality, so Dr. Scott Russell rates sites on a 4-star scale emphasizing educational value, completeness and scientific correctness. Resources are added daily. (An amazing achievement!)

Spirit of Gardening

Includes a useful timeline of gardens and gardening.

Early Classics in Biogeography, Distribution and Diversity Studies to 1950

A bibliography and full-text archive designed for advanced students and researchers engaged in work in biogeography, biodiversity, history of science, and related studies. Includes material on Joseph Hooker, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace and many others.

Early Classics in Biogeography, Distribution, and Diversity Studies: 1951 to 1975

Another massive bibliography which continues the above site by adding more recent texts, including Daniel Axelrod, John Briggs, Sherwin Carlquist, Philip Darlington, Jared Diamond and many others.

European Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Group

The European Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Group (EBHL) is an association to promote and facilitate co-operation and communication between those working in botanical and horticultural libraries, archives and related institutions in Europe. “Europe” is interpreted in the widest sense to include countries both within and outside the European Union (EU). Includes a useful directory of botanical and related libraries in Europe.

The Garden History Society

Aims to promote the study of the history of gardening, landscape gardening and horticulture in all aspects and promote the protection and conservation of historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes, and to advise on their restoration.

Harvard University herbarium libraries and archives

The archival collections of the Botany Libraries hold many rich sources of information. The botany archives specializes in unique historical materials that document the activities of botanists and their colleagues, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries. Materials include personal and institutional inventories, field notes, diaries, expeditions, plant lists, photographs, historic letters, and artifacts. Includes masses of information on Asa Gray, one of Hooker’s most important correspondents.

History of Horticulture

This excellent site is based on the course outline of Professor Freeman S. Howlett’s course "The History and Literature of Horticulture: From Earliest Times to the Present", first presented at Ohio State University in 1968. Readers will notice the emphasis Professor Howlett placed on highlighting and cataloging the writings of the historical figures comprising the outline. The site’s managers point out that Professor's Howlett’s course outline is not a complete history of horticulture, but they hope to expand this resource over time into a fuller history.

Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

Specializes in the history of botany and all aspects of plant science and serves the international scientific community through research and documentation. To this end, the Institute acquires and maintains authoritative collections of books, plant images, manuscripts, portraits and data files, and provides publications and other modes of information service. Designed to assist current research in botanical systematics, history and biography, and to meet the reference needs of biologists, historians, conservationists, librarians, bibliographers and the public at large, especially those concerned with any aspect of the North American flora.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck: works and heritage

An astonishing site that brings together a vast range of material on this important late-18th/early 19th Century French naturalist. Available in English and French, it includes biographical information, many of Lamarck’s writings and related material.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The official website of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, includes some information about their history as well as details of how to contact their library and archives staff.

Lefalophodon: History of Evolutionary Biology

This is an informal and incomplete guide to the history of evolutionary biology from about 1800 to about 1950. It is maintained by John Alroy. Its main emphases are on the late 19th century and on paleontology. However, he hopes to see the coverage become more comprehensive in the near future.

Linnean herbarium

The Linnean herbarium at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm comprises some 4000 herbarium specimens, several of which are types formally designated by various experts. The specimens were once distributed by Linnaeus to his disciples and eventually they became part of the collections of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, subsequently the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Linnaeus' main collections are today housed at the The Linnean Society of London.

The Museum of Garden History

This beautifully presented site is about the Tradescant Garden, a replica 17th century Knot Garden, which commemorates the famous 17th century gardeners and plant hunters, the John Tradescants, father and son, and is planted with plants of the period.

Plant Explorers

A site for modern plant explorers those whose ‘goal is discovery more than acquisition’ – including botanical photographers and painters. The site also includes some historical information.

Plant People

The Gardenweb site has a page devoted to individuals who champion particular plants or methods and share their insights with the wider horticultural community. These include the plant collector Ernest Henry “Chinese” Wilson (1876–1930) and others of interest to historitans of botany and gardening.

Rare Books from the Missouri Botanic Garden Library

The Missouri Botanical Garden Library has recently started to digitise images of rare books. The idea is to make some of their beautifully illustrated and botanically significant books available to an international audience. This project will eventaully result in a large database of botanical and gardening illustrations and text available to scholars, gardeners, and book enthusiasts through their web site.

British Society for the History of Science

The BSHS brings together people with a common interest in all aspects of the history of science. Members of the BSHS receive the highly respected quarterly academic journal, the British Journal for the History of Science (BHJS), the BSHS Newsletter - which carries information about the field as well as details of forthcoming events, reduced registration fees for all BSHS conferences, and much more.

Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science (CSHPS).

A Canadian forum bringing together historians, philosophers, sociologists, and a wide range of interdisciplinary scholars interested in exploring all aspects of science, past and present. Its quarterly newsletter is the Communiqué and its annual conference takes place within the Congress of Social Sciences and Humanities.

History of Science Society (HSS)

The world’s largest society dedicated to understanding science, technology, medicine, and their interactions with society in their historical context. Founded over seventy-five years ago, it is the oldest such society. Through its publications and other activities, the Society provides scholars, decisions makers and the public with historical perspectives on science policy and on the potentials, achievements, and the limitations of basic and applied science.

The International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB)

The International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB) brings together scholars from diverse disciplines, including the life sciences as well as history, philosophy, and social studies of science. ISHPSSB summer meetings are known for innovative, transdisciplinary sessions, and for fostering informal, co-operative exchanges and on-going collaborations.

Society for the History of Natural History

The only international society devoted to the history of botany, zoology and geology, in the broadest sense, including natural history collections, exploration, art and bibliography. The Society is based in London but has active international representatives in the Americas, Asia and Europe, and holds meetings all over the world. It produces a prestigious journal entitled Archives of Natural History and an informative Newsletter, as well as occasional publications.