'Catalogus Herbarum ex horto Botanico Oxoniensi' (1676)

The Catalogus Herbarum ex horto Botanico Oxoniensi and Altera pars Catologi ex Horto Botan: Oxon:, which is dated 1676, is written in Jacob Bobart the Younger’s hand. It appears to be a draft for another catalogue of the Physic Garden’s plants.

The manuscript comprises a numbered list of 1,112 polynomials, together with English names. It is divided into two parts. In the first part names are arranged by flowering month but for the rest of the manuscript there appears to be no such pattern. The pattern is not alphabetical, it is not taxonomic and it does not follow the Sciagraphia. On the page shown, ‘Medica’ (clovers), ‘Pentaphylloides’ (potentilla), ‘Martagon’ (lily), ‘Geranium’ (cranesbill), ‘Dulcamara’ (bittersweet) are followed by a clutch of plants in the dandelion family. Bobart was evidently checking items off, based on the marks on the ruled line below about two-thirds down the page.