Jefferson mentioned Persoon’s work in the letter to Dr. John Manners written from Monticello on February 22, 1814: “
. . . in Botany Wildenow and Persoon have incorporated into Linnaeus the new discovered planis . . .
[
sic
--
Ed.
]”
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, 1755-1836, Dutch naturalist, was born in Cape Town, but taken to Europe at the age of twelve. He died in Paris.
[1073]
22
Crownenshield’s Hortus siccus.
8
vo.
MS.
1815 Catalogue, page 47. no. 14, as above.
This manuscript is not extant.
Bound for Jefferson by Joseph Milligan on March 8, 1809, cost .75.
Sent to Jefferson by Dr. Bentley, Salem, Mass. to whom the former wrote on December 29, 1808: “
I recieved safely by Gen
l. Dearborne the specimens you were so kind as to send me, of a hortus siccus by m
(
~
r)
Crownenshield, and of drawings with the pen by miss Crownenshield. the relations of my late friend, and the excessive pressure
of business, during a session of Congress, must be my apology for this late acknolegement. I have certainly never seen anything,
in either way, equally perfect, and I esteem them as models which will not, I believe be exceeded. I pray you to accept my
acknolegements for this mark of attention from yourself, and to be so good as to present to the young artists the assurances
of my thankfulness for these acceptable proofs of their uncommon talent. if my testimony of their eminence can be any gratification
to them, it is offered with sincerity, and justly due to them . . .
”
See also no. 1130.
Jefferson’s “
late friend” referred to in this letter was Jacob Crowninshield, 1707-1808.
For a note on Dr. Bentley, see no. 1695.
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23
Clayton’s Flora Virginica by Gronovius.
4
to.
1815 Catalogue, page 47. no. 30, Clayton’s Flora Virginica, 4to.
GRONOVIUS,
Johannes Fredericus--
CLAYTON, John.
Flora Virginica exhibens Plantas, quas nobilissimus vir D. D. Johannes Claytonus, Med. Doct. etc. etc. in Virginia crescentes observavit, collegit & obtulit D. Joh. Fred. Gronovio, cujus studio & opera descriptæ & in ordinem sexualem systematicum redactæ sistuntur. Lugduni Batavorum,
1762.
QK191 .G86
Third Edition. 4to. 98 leaves; folded map of Virginia; list of authors consulted on 7 leaves at the beginning.
Sabin 28924.
Clayton-Torrence 293.
Pritzel 3919.
Clayton’s Flora Virginica. 4
to. was one of the books selected by Jefferson from the library of the Rev. Samuel Henley in March 1785.
Jefferson bought a copy, bound, from
Froullé on August 16, 1787, price
9. A copy is entered on his undated manuscript catalogue, with the price
16-10.
In the
Notes on Virginia
Jefferson listed a catalogue of Virginia trees, plants, fruits, etc. and added:
There is an infinitude of other plants and flowers, for an enumeration and scientific description of which I must refer to
the Flora Virginica of our great botanist, Dr. Clayton, published by Gronovius at Leyden, in 1762. This accurate observer
was a native and resident of this state, passed a long life in exploring and describing it’s plants, and is supposed to have
enlarged the botanical catalogue as much as almost any man who has lived.
Johannes Fredericus Gronovius [Gronov], 1690-1760, Dutch naturalist, compiled this work from the herbal sent to him from Virginia by John Clayton, to whom
it is dedicated. The first edition was printed in 1739 and reprinted in 1743. The edition of 1762, technically the third,
was the first to be revised in accordance with the Linnean system.
John Clayton, 1693-1773, English botanist, came to Virginia in 1705 to join his father who was the attorney-general of the colony. Jefferson
was in error in describing him as a native of the State.
This work was the first flora of Virginia published.
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