William Curtis - Flora Londinensis, flowers and plants in and around London, England

Curtis, a Quaker, was eager to share his horticultural knowledge with others; when a projected course of lectures at Chelsea did not materialize, he arranged one of his own, on botany and horticulture, in the new garden which he had made for himself in "Lambeth Marsh". Here he also cultivated some six thousand species of plants. But his prime interest was in the British flora, especially in such flowers as grew in the neighborhood of London. With the support of Lord Bute, he embarked on his first ambitious project, the Flora Londinensis — a series of coloured folio illustrations and descriptions of the plants which grew within a radius of ten miles of the metropolis.

The first part of Flora Londinensis appeared in 1777, and in the same year Curtis, overburdened with work, resigned his post at Chelsea. For ten years he continued perseveringly at his congenial but unremenerative task; by 1787, the results of his labours were two splendid folio volumes and a deficit which made the continuance of his venture impossible. He understood the cause of the trouble and saw the remedy: if his clients refused to buy folio pictures of the unassuming plants that grew by the wayside, he would win their patronage with octavo engravings of the bright exotics with filled their gardens. Thus, in 1787, the Botanical Magazine was born. As Curtis himself said, it brought him "pudding" whereas Flora Londinensis had only brought him praise.

Hand-coloured engravings. Sheet size is approx. 17¾ x 11½ inches. Plate size varies by image (noted below). Each print is accompanied by a 1 page description in both Latin and English. This is but a small sampling of the Flora Londinensis botanicals in our collection. Please email us if you are looking for a particular flower.
Ranunculus Repens "Creeping Crowfoot" (ca. 13 x 8½ inches) $250	Pulmonaria Maritima "Sea Lungwort" (ca. 14 x 6½ inches) $250	Hypericum Humifusum "Trailing St. John's Wort" (ca. 8 x10 inches) $200
Papaver Dubium "Common Poppy" (no description avail.) (ca. 9½ x15 inches) $300	Sambucus Ebulus "Dwarf Elder" (ca. 11 x17 inches) $175	Antirrhinum Spurium "Round-leaved Fluelin" (ca. 14 x8½ inches) $150
Chrysosplenium Opposistifolium "Golden Saxifrage" (ca. 7½ x6¾ inches) $150	Trifolum Subterraneous "Subterraneous Trefoil" (ca. 6 ½ x6¾ inches) $150	Veronica Serpyllofolia "Little Smooth Speedwell" (ca. 5½ x 7 inches) $125
Antirrhinum Elatine "Sharp-pointed Fluellin" (ca. 11 x 9 inches) $125	Scutellaria Galericulata "Hooded Willow Herb" (ca. 17 x 10 inches) $150	Sedum Telephium "Orpine" (ca. 17 x 9 inches) $225
Trifolium Repens "Dutch Clover" (ca. 8 x 10 inches) $250	Rumex Obtusifolius "Broad-leaved Dock" (ca. 11 x 17 inches) $150	Tussilago Farfara "Coltsfoot" (ca. 10 x 17 inches) $200
Onopordum Acanthium "Cotton Thistle" (ca. 11 x 17 inches) $250	Lysimachia Nemorum "Wood Moneywort or Loosestrife" (ca. 9 x 11 inches) $200	Fumaria Officinalis "Common Fumitory" (ca. 12 x 10 inches) $175
Medicago Lupulina "Hop Medick" (ca. 9 x 14 inches) $175	Saxifraga Granulata "White Saxifrage" (ca. 15 x 6 inches) $150	Epilobium Montanum "Wood Willow Herb" (ca. 16 x 6 inches) $150
Bromus Hirsutus "Hairy-Stalk'd Brome-Grass" (ca. 17 x 10 inches) $150	Draba Verna "Whitlow Grass" (ca. 5½ x 7 inches) $75	Veronica Arvensis "Wall Speedwell" (ca. 5 x 7 inches) $75
Euphrasia Officinalis "Common Eyebright" (ca. 5 x 7 inches) $75	Sagina Erecta "Upright Pearlwort" (ca. 7 x 5 inches) $75	Bryum Hornum "Swan's Neck Bryum" (ca. 4½ x 7 inches) $75
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Hand-coloured engravings. Sheet size is approx. 17¾ x 11½ inches. Plate size varies by image (noted below).
Each print is accompanied by a 1 page description in both Latin and English.
This is but a small sampling of the Flora Londinensis botanicals in our collection. Please email us if you are looking for a particular flower.

Ranunculus Repens
"Creeping Crowfoot"
(ca. 13 x 8½ inches)
$250