The Swede, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), introduced an artificial " Sexual System " of plant classification in 1735, and a binomial system of nomenclature in 1753. They made plant identification much easier. The Linnaean period in Britain lasted from 1760 until [1810-]1830. It is demonstrated that it was during this period that it was first recognised that an unusually high number of rare plants grow in Upper Teesdale. Most of the rare plants of the then very remote Upper Teesdale were discovered shortly after 1783 by William Oliver (1760-1816), alone. He was a surgeon and part of a medical dynasty. How he became a botanist, with his medical background, is examined in detail. He trained at Edinburgh but did not do botany. However, he knew John Hope, the Professor of Botany. Hope was one of only two people teaching the Linnaean system in Britain at this time. The appearance of Linnaean floras of Britain in English from the 1770's onwards made field botany accessiblet o anyone. Previously complex natural systems of plant classification and the use of Latin had restricted access. How Oliver's discoveries were made known is examined in detail. It involved Rev. John Harriman (1760-183 1) who was influenced by the Linnean Society of London, formed in 1788, and the Linnaean English Botany which began in 1790. H-e wanted to become a Fellow of the Linnean Society. James Edward Smith was President of the Linnean Society and an author, with James Sowerby, ofEnglish Botany. IV alic, ,j Lrf Edward Robson (1763-1813), a Quaker botanist and already an Associate of the Linnean Society, and his compilation: Plantae rariores agro Dunelmensi indigenae of 1798, and John Binks (1766-1817), an artisan botanist. Medicine made botanists of both Harriman and Binks, as well as Oliver. Linnaeus influenced the teaching of materia medica (the plant simples).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:242659 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Horsman, Frank |
| Publisher | Durham University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/983/ |
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