''A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland'', also known by its standard abbreviation ''Spec. Bot. New Holland'', was the first published book on the

flora of Australia The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 30,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens. The flora has strong affinities with the flora of Gondwana, ...

. Written by

James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to: * James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society * James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer * James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto * ...

and illustrated by

James Sowerby James Sowerby (21 March 1757 – 25 October 1822) was an English naturalist, illustrator and mineralogist. Contributions to published works, such as ''A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland'' or ''English Botany'', include his detailed and app ...

, it was published by Sowerby in four parts between 1793 and 1795. It consists of 16 colour plates of paintings by Sowerby, mostly based on sketches by John White, and around 40 pages of accompanying text. It was presented as the first volume in a series, but no further volumes were released.

Book

The work began as a collaboration between Smith and

George Shaw George Shaw may refer to: * George Shaw (biologist) (1751–1813), English botanist and zoologist * George B. Shaw (1854–1894), U.S. Representative from Wisconsin * George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), Irish playwright * George C. Shaw (1866–196 ...

. Together they produced a two-part work entitled ''

Zoology and Botany of New Holland Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

'', with each part containing two zoology plates and two botany plates, along with accompanying text. These appeared in 1793, although the publications themselves indicate 1794. The collaboration then ended, and Shaw went on to independently produce his '' Zoology of New Holland''. Smith's contributions to ''Zoology and Botany of New Holland'' became the first two parts of ''A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland'', a further two parts of which were issued in 1795.

Australian plants listed

The book contained details of the following Australian plants: * '' Billardiera scandens'' * '' Tetratheca juncea'' * ''

Ceratopetalum gummiferum ''Ceratopetalum gummiferum'', the New South Wales Christmas bush, is a tall shrub or small tree popular in Plant cultivation, cultivation due to its sepals that turn bright red-pink at around Christmas time. The petals are actually small and whi ...

'' * ''

Banksia spinulosa ''Banksia spinulosa'', the hairpin banksia, is a species of woody shrub, of the genus ''Banksia'' in the family Proteaceae, native to eastern Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an understorey plant in open dry forest or heathland ...

'' (Hairpin Banksia) * ''Goodenia ramosissima'', now '' Scaevola ramosissima'' * ''

Platylobium formosum ''Platylobium formosum'', also known as handsome flat-pea, is a shrub that is endemic to Australia. It is a member of the family Fabaceae and of the genus '' Platylobium''. Description The species is an erect or straggling shrub with wiry stems ...

'' * ''Platylobium parviflorum'', now ''Platylobium formosum'' subsp. ''parviflorum'' (not figured) * ''Embothrium speciosissimum'', now ''

Telopea speciosissima ''Telopea speciosissima'', commonly known as the New South Wales waratah or simply waratah, is a large shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales in Australia and is the floral emblem of that state. No subspecies a ...

'' (New South Wales Waratah) * ''Embothrium silaifolium'', now ''

Lomatia silaifolia ''Lomatia silaifolia'', commonly known as crinkle bush or parsley fern, is a plant of the family, Proteaceae native to eastern Australia. Naturally found in open forest, it grows as a small shrub 1–2 m high with highly pinnate leaves reminiscen ...

'' * ''Embothrium sericeum'', now ''

Grevillea sericea ''Grevillea sericea'', commonly known as the pink spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the ba ...

'' ** ''E. s.'' var. ''minor'', now ''Grevillea sericea'' ** ''E. s.'' var. ''major'', now ''

Grevillea speciosa ''Grevillea speciosa'', commonly known as red spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Central Coast of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped or more or less circ ...

'' (Red Spider Flower) ** ''E. s.'' var. ''angustifolia'', now ''

Grevillea linearifolia ''Grevillea linearifolia'', commonly known as linear-leaf grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an open, erect shrub with linear to narrowly elliptic leaves, and clusters of ...

'' * ''Embothrium buxifolium'', now ''

Grevillea buxifolia ''Grevillea buxifolia'', commonly known as grey spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, and wooll ...

'' (Grey Spider Flower) * ''

Pimelea linifolia ''Pimelea linifolia'', commonly known as slender rice flower is a common, variable shrub widespread throughout eastern Australia. It has narrow leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and usually white flowers arranged in heads of seven or more on th ...

'' * ''

Pultenaea stipularis ''Pultenaea stipularis'', commonly known as handsome bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with glabrous stems, linear to narrow elliptic leaves, and yellow to o ...

'' * ''

Eucalyptus robusta ''Eucalyptus robusta'', commonly known as swamp mahogany or swamp messmate, is a tree native to eastern Australia. Growing in swampy or waterlogged soils, it is up to high with thick spongy reddish brown bark and dark green broad leaves, which ...

'' * ''

Eucalyptus tereticornis ''Eucalyptus tereticornis'', commonly known as forest red gum, blue gum or red irongum, is a species of tree that is native to eastern Australia and southern New Guinea. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in grou ...

'' (not figured) * ''

Eucalyptus capitellata ''Eucalyptus capitellata'', commonly known as brown stringybark, is a species of tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It is a small to medium-sized tree with rough, stringy bark from the trunk to the thinnest branches, lance-shaped to curved ...

'' (not figured) * ''

Eucalyptus piperita ''Eucalyptus piperita'', commonly known as Sydney peppermint and urn-fruited peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia. Description It has grey, rough and finely fibrous bark on its trunk, but its branche ...

'' (previously published by Smith in White's 1790 ''

Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

''; not figured) * ''

Eucalyptus obliqua ''Eucalyptus obliqua'', commonly known as messmate stringybark or messmate, but also known as brown top, brown top stringbark, stringybark or Tasmanian oak, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy or ...

'' (previously published by

Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (; 15 June 1746 – 18 August 1800) was an 18th-century French botanist and civil servant. Born into an affluent upper-class Parisian family, connections with the French Royal Court secured him the position of ...

; not figured) * ''Eucalyptus corymbosa'', now ''

Corymbia gummifera ''Corymbia gummifera'', commonly known as red bloodwood, is a species of tree, rarely a mallee, that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, tessellated bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups o ...

'' (Unbeknownst to Smith, this had already been published by

Joseph Gaertner Joseph Gaertner (12 March 1732 – 14 July 1791) was a German botanist, best known for his work on seeds, ''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'' (1788-1792). Biography He was born in Calw, and studied in Göttingen under Albrecht von Haller. ...

as ''Metrosideros gummifera'') * '' Styphelia tubiflora'' * ''Styphelia ericoides'', now '' Leucopogon ericoides'' (not figured) * ''Styphelia strigosa'', now ''

Lissanthe strigosa ''Lissanthe strigosa'', commonly known as peach heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves and white to pink, cylindrical flowers. ...

'' (not figured) * ''Styphelia scoparia'', now '' Monotoca scoparia'' (not figured) * ''Styphelia daphnoides'', now '' Brachyloma daphnoides'' (not figured) * ''Styphelia lanceolata'', now '' Leucopogon lanceolatus'' (not figured) * ''Styphelia elliptica'', now ''

Monotoca elliptica ''Monotoca elliptica'', the tree broom heath, is a plant in the family Ericaceae, found in south-eastern Australia. Description Monotoca elliptica is a long-lived species which may grow for more than a hundred years. The plant is often seen a ...

'' (not figured) * ''Mimosa myrtifolia'', now ''

Acacia myrtifolia ''Acacia myrtifolia'', known colloquially as myrtle wattle, red stem wattle or red-stemmed wattle, is a species of ''Acacia'' native to coastal areas of southern and eastern Australia. Description It is a small, bushy and glabrous shrub that t ...

'' * ''Mimosa hispidula'', now '' Acacia hispidula''

References

1793 books Books about Australian natural history Botany in Australia Florae (publication) History of Australia (1788–1850) Taxa named by James Edward Smith 1790s in science {{botany-book-stub