The modern names for Catesby's plants

Abstract

Mark Catesby (1682-1749) collected plants in the southeastern United States from Maryland to Florida between 1712 and 1719 and again between 1 722 and 1 725 (Reveal, 1 983). During part of 1 725, before his return to England in 1 726, he collected in the Bahama islands of New Providence, Abaco, Andros, and Eleuthera (Britton & Millspaugh, 1920). Dried specimens, as well as seeds and possibly living plants, were sent to correspondents and sponsors in England and Europe (Allen, 1937). Plants and animals were sketched in the field, and drawings were occasionally done from plants grown from seeds or under cul- tivation in Europe. Catesby (1731, p. xi) said, "As I was not bred a Painter I hope some faults in Perspective, and other Niceties may be more readily ex- cused. ..." Unfortunately, two drawings are so inaccurate that they still can- not be identified. The Natural History of Carolina , Florida and the Bahama Islands , termed "a pioneer contribution to the natural history of the West Indies as well as to that of the southern United States" (Stearn, 1958, p. 328), was published in parts between 1730 and 1743, with an appendix appearing in 1747. The work was soon cited by J. F. Grono vius in his Flora Virginica. Linnaeus cited many but not all of Catesby's plates in Species Plantarum (ed. 1, 1753; ed. 2, 1762, '! 63), Systema Naturae (ed. 10, 1759), Centuria II. Plantarum (17 56; contains a single reference to Vinca lutea), Mantissa Plantarum (1767), and Mantissa Plantarum Altera (1771).