A timeline of illustrated botanical works to 1900.
BCE Enquiry into Plants Theophrastus (371—287 BCE)
1–100 CE
c. 77 De Materia Medica Dioscorides (40–90 CE) Naturalis Historiae Gaius Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE)
201-300 c. 200 – 250 CE Shennong Ben Cao Jing Traditionally attributed to the mythical emperor Shennong
301-400 4th century Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarius
501–600 515 Vienna Dioscurides (copy of De Materia Medica made for Juliana Anicia, daughter of Anicius Olybrius) 6th century Herbarium, Leiden, MS. Voss. Q.9.
1001–1500 1090-1120 Saint-Omer Liber Floridus Lambert, Canon of Saint-Omer 12th-century Cordoba Kitāb fī l-adwiya al-mufrada Abū Jaʿfar al-Ghāfiqī (?-c1165) 1199 Iraq The Book of Theriac (Kitāb al-Diryāq) (Anonymous author) 12th- or 13th-century The Book of Simple Medicaments Serapion the Younger Early 14th-century Salerno Liber de Simplici Medicina aka Circa Instans Johannes and/or Matthaeus Platearius Early 15th-century Italy Voynich manuscript (text in code) Early 15th-century Venice Codex Bellunensis (aka Belluno Herbal) (based on the work of Dioscorides) c. 1403 Padua Carrara Herbal Anonymous author of incomplete book never published and likely drawing on The Book of Simple Medicaments by Serapion the Younger c. 1440 Lombardy Erbario Carrarese c. 1450 – c. 1480 Cluny Livre des Simples Medicines Matthaeus Platearius c. 1472 Kraków Antibolomenon Jan Stanko (1430–1493) 1475 Augsburg He nach volget das Puch der Natur Konrad von Megenberg (1309–1374) 1481/83 Italy/Mainz Herbarium Apuleii Platonici Apuleius Platonicus 1483 Venice Naturalis Historiae Gaius Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE) 1484 Germany Latin Herbarius Peter Schöffer (1425–1502) 1485 Germany German Herbarius Peter Schöffer (1425–1502) 1486 Augsburg Gart der Gesundheit Peter Schöffer (1425–1502) 1491 Mainz Ortus sanitatis de herbis et planti de animalibus Jacob Meydenbach Peter Schöffer (1425–1502) 1499 Venice Herbarius Latinus Incipit tractatus de virtutibus herbarum Simone Bevilacqua da Pavia (fl. 1485-1518) Arnau de Vilanova (c1240-c1311)
1501–1600 Early 16th-century Paris Livre des Simples Medicines Matthaeus Platearius Robinet Testard 1526 England The Grete Herball 1530 Strasbourg Herbarium Vivae Eicones Otto Brunfels (1488–1534), Hans Weiditz 1530 Strasbourg Lustgärten und Pflantzungen Christian Egenolff (1502–1555) 1534 Kraków O ziołach i o mocy ich Stefan Falimierz 1536 Paris De Natura Stirpium Jean Ruel (1474–1537) 1539 Strasbourg Kreüter Buch Hieronymus Bock (1498–1554) 1542 Basel De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566) Albrecht Meyer Heinrich Füllmaurer Veit Rudolf Speckle 1542 Kraków O ziołach tutecznych i zamorskich i o mocy ich, a k temu księgi lekarskie Hieronim Spiczyński 1500-1553) 1544 Venice Commentarii in Sex Libros Pedacii Dioscoridis Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577) 1549 Lyons Plantarum effigies Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566) 1551 London 1562 Cologne A New Herball, Wherein are Conteyned the Names of Herbes William Turner (1508–1568) 1552 Mexico Badianus Manuscript aka Libellus de Medicinalibus Indorum Herbis (anonymous Aztec) Juan Badiano (1484-?) Martín de la Cruz 1554 Antwerp Cruijdeboeck Rembert Dodoens (1517–1585) Pieter van der Borcht (1535/40-1608) Arnold Nicolai 1561 Strasbourg Historia Stirpium Libri IV Conrad Gesner (1516–1565) 1562 Prague Herbarz: Ginak Bylinar (Commentaries on Dioscorides) Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577) 1563 Goa Coloquios dos Simples, e Drogas he Cousas Medicinais Garcia de Orta (1501–1568) c. 1565 Mattioli's Dioscorides illustrated by Cibo Gherardo Cibo (1512–1600) 1566 Antwerp Frumentorum Rembert Dodoens (1517–1585) Pieter van der Borcht (1535/40-1608) 1568 Kraków Herbarz, to jest ziół tutecznych, postronnych i zamorskich opisanie Marcin Siennik 1568–72 Florilegium in Victoria & Albert Museum Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (c. 1533 – 1588) 1568 Antwerp Florum et Coronarium Odoratarum Rembert Dodoens (1517–1585) 1569 Seville Historia Medicinal Indias Occidentales Nicolás Monardes (1493–1588) 1570 London Stirpium Adversaria Nova Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616), Pierre Pena 1576 Antwerp Plantarum Seu Stirpium Historia Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616) 1577 Frankfurt Kreuterbuch. Künstliche Conterfeytunge der Bäume, Stauden Adam Lonicer (1528–1586) 1577–87 Florence Botanical Paintings for Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) 1581 Antwerp Plantarum Seu Stirpium Icones Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616) 1583 Florence De Plantis Libri XVI Andrea Cesalpino (1519–1603) 1583 Antwerp Stirpium Historiae Pemptades Sex Rembert Dodoens (1517–1585) 1585 Rome Herbario nuovo Castore Durante (born 1529) 1586 Historia plantarum Lugdunensis Jacques d'Aléchamps (1513–1588) Johannes Molindus Jean Bauhin (1511–1582) 1586 Histoire Naturelle des Indes (aka 'Drake manuscript') 1592 Venice De Plantis Aegypti liber Prospero Alpini (1553–1617) 1592 Naples Phytobasanos cui accessit vita Fabi et Lynceorum Fabio Colonna (1567–1650) 1593 Antwerp Florilegium ab Hadriano Collaert Adriaen Collaert (1560–1618) 1593 China Bencao Gangmu Li Shizhen (1518–1593) 1595 Bijapur Kitab-i hasha’ish (Book of herbs) Created during the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580–1627) 1595 Kraków Herbarz polski, to jest o przyrodzeniu ziół i drzew rozmaitych Marcin of Urzędów (1500–1573) 1597 London Herball John Gerard (1545–1611)
1601–1700 1600s London The Florilegium of Alexander Marshal Alexander Marshal (c1620-1682) (housed in the Royal Library of Windsor Castle) 1600-25 A History of East Indian Trees and Plants and of their Medicinal Properties aka Sloane Manuscript 4013 London, British Library 1601 Antwerp Rariorum Plantarum Historia Fungorum Historia Charles de l'Écluse (1526–1609) 1605 Leiden Exoticorum Libri Decem Charles de l'Écluse (1526–1609) 1608 Paris Le Jardin du roy tres chrestien Louis XIIII roy de France et de Navare Pierre Vallet (c. 1575 – 1657) 1611 Antwerp Curae Posteriores Aethiopicum Charles de l'Écluse (1526–1609) 1612 Frankfurt Florilegium Novum Theodor de Bry (1528–1598) Johann Theodor de Bry (1561–1623) Matthäus Merian (1593–1650) 1612 Frankfurt Florilegium Amplissimum et Selectissimum Emanuel Sweert (1552–1612) 1613 Kraków Zielnik Szymon Syreński (1540–1611) 1613 Hortus Eystettensis Basilius Besler (1561–1629) 1614 Florence Étude de Botanique Girolamo Pini 1614–16 Utrecht Hortus floridus Crispijn van de Passe (1564–1637) 1615 Hortulus Monheimensis Wolfgang Philippus Brandt 1620 Paris Livre de Fleurs François L’Anglois (1859–1647) 1620-29 London Tradescant's Orchard John Tradescant the Elder (c. 1570-1638) 1623 Basel Pinax Theatri Botanici Caspar Bauhin (1560–1624) 1629 Venice De plantis exoticis libri duo Prospero Alpini (1553–1617) 1629 London Paradisi in Sole John Parkinson (1567–1650) 1631–1793 Paris Les Vélins du Roi Nicolas Robert (1614–1685) Pancrace Bessa (1772–1846) Gerard van Spaendonck (1746–1822) Claude Aubriet (1665–1742) Madeleine Françoise Basseporte (1701–1780) 1633 Rome De Florum Cultura Libri IV Giovanni Battista Ferrari (1584–1655) 1633 Paris Theatrum florae Daniel Rabel (1578–1637) 1635 Paris Canadensium Plantarum, Aliarumque Nondum Editarum Historia Jacques-Philippe Cornut (c1606–1651) 1640 London Theatrum Botanicum John Parkinson (1567–1650) 1641 Frankfurt-am-Main Florilegium renovatum et auctum: variorum maximeque rariorum germinum, forum ac plantarum Theodor de Bry (1528–1598) Matthäus Merian (1593–1650) 1641 Delhi Dara Shikoh Album 1644 Paris Recueil des Plantes du Jardin du Roi Guy de la Brosse (1586–1641) 1644 Amsterdam Theophrasti Eresii de Historia Plantarum Johannes Bodaeus van Stapel (1602–1636) 1646 Rome Hesperides sive de Malorum Aureorum Cultura et Usu Libri Quatuor Giovanni Battista Ferrari (1584–1655), Cassiano dal Pozzo (1588–1657) 1648 Leiden Historia Naturalis Brasiliae Willem Piso 1649–59 Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp Gottorfer Codex Hans Simon Holtzbecker (1610–1671) 1654-75 Frankfurt Nassau Florilegium Johann Jakob Walther (artist) (1604–1676) 1656 Vienna Flora sinensis Michał Piotr Boym (1612–1659) (anonymous artists) 1660 Altdorf Florae Altdorffinae Deliciae Hortenses sive Catalogus Plantarum Horti Medici Moritz Hoffmann (1622–1698) 1669 London Hortus Regius Blesensis Robert Morison (1620–1683) 1670 London Sylva or a Discourse of Forest Trees John Evelyn (1620–1706) 1672 Amsterdam Waare Oeffening der Planten Abraham Munting (1626–1683) 1672 Oxford Plantarum Umbelliferum Robert Morison (1620–1683) 1675 Copenhagen Acta Medica et Philosophica Hafniensia Thomas Bartholin (1616–1680) 1675 London Anatome plantarum 2 vols. Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694) 1676 Paris Memoires pour servir à l'histoire des plantes Dionys Dodart (1634–1707) 1678 Danzig Exoticarum...Plantarum Centuria Prima Jacob Breyne (1637–1697) Stephanus Cousius 1678–1703 Amsterdam Hortus Malabaricus Hendrik van Rheede et al. (1636–1691) 1679 Nuremberg Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) 1680 Amsterdam Aloidarium Historia Abraham Munting (1626–1683) 1680 Oxford Historia plantarum universalis Oxoniensis Robert Morison (1620–1683) 1682 London Methodus Plantarum Nova John Ray (1628–1705) 1682 The Anatomy of Plants Nehemiah Grew (1641–1712) 1685 Amsterdam Simon van der Stel's Journal of his expedition in Namaqualand Simon van der Stel (1639–1712) 1686 Paris Voyage de Siam Guy Tachard (1651–1712) 1686–1709 Amsterdam Moninckx Atlas Jan Moninckx (1656–1714) Maria Moninckx (1673–1757) 1687 Leiden Horti Academici Lugduno-Batavi Catalogus Paul Hermann (c. 1646 – 1695) 16?? London Codex Comptoniana Henry Compton (1632–1713) 16?? Holland Codex Bentingiana Hans Willem Bentinck (1649–1709) 16?? Holland Codex Witsenii Nicolaas Witsen (1641–1717) 1686–1704 London Historia plantarum generalis John Ray (1628–1705) van Huysum 1689 Paris Second Voyage Guy Tachard (1651–1712) 1690 The Hague Horti Beaumonti Exoticarum Plantarum Catalogus Franz Kiggelaer (1648–1722) 1691 London Phytographia Leonard Plukenet (1642–1706) 1693 Paris Description des plantes de l'Amérique Charles Plumier (1646–1704) 1694 Paris Eléments de botanique Institutiones Rei Herbariae Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) 1696 Leiden Utrecht Naauwkeurige Beschryving der Aardgewassen Abraham Munting (1626–1683) 1696 London Almagestum Leonard Plukenet (1642–1706) 1696 Brandenburg Index Nominum Plantarum Universalis Christian Mentzel (1622–1701) 1697 Amsterdam Horti medici amstelodamensis (vol.1) Jan Commelijn (1629–1692) 1698 Leiden Paradisus Batavus Paul Hermann (1646–1695) 1700 Nuremberg Flora Noribergensis Johann Georg Volckamer (1662–1744) 1700 Paris Institutiones Rei Herbariae Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) 1700 Amsterdam Plantae Javanicae pictae, ex Java transmissae anno MDCC Nicolaes Witsen (1641–1717) Herbert de Jager
1701–1800 1701 Amsterdam Horti medici amstelodamensis (vol.2) Caspar Commelijn (1668–1731) 1702–09 London Gazophylacii naturae & Artis Decas I-X James Petiver (1663–1718) 1703 Paris Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera Charles Plumier (1646–1704) 1703 Leiden Praeludia botanica Caspar Commelijn (1668–1731) 1704 De Plantis & Insectis Quibusdam Rarioribus in Hispania Observatis Johann Philipp Breyne (1680–1764) 1705 London Amaltheum Botanicum Leonard Plukenet (1641–1706) 1705 Amsterdam Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) 1706 Horti medici amstelodamensis Planta Rariores et Exoticae Caspar Commelijn (1668–1731) 1707–25 London Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbadoes, Nieves, St. Christophers and Jamaica Hans Sloane (1660–1753) 1708-14 Nuremberg Nürnbergische Hesperides (2 vols) Johann Christoph Volkamer (1644–1720) 1710 London Botanologia or The English Herbal] William Salmon (1644–1713) 1710-33 Edo Chikinsõ (20 vols) Ihei Itõ (1695–1733)