book The Flora Danica was intended to contain, in the folio
—v-1. form, figures of all the indigenous plants o f Denmark, Norway,
thofe o f the duchies o f Slefwick and Holftein, and o f
many from Iceland; a trail of country extending jj more y
than t6 degrees, between the 54th degree o f latitude and >
the North Cape.
A hiftory of all thefe plant's, to be publiihed in odlavo, was
alfo promifed, but this part o f the plan lias not yet-been
Completed.
Of this Flora Danica, a number, or fafciculus^ containing;
60 plates, was intended to be annually publiihed,-■ and the
firft came forth in 1 7 6 2 : but, according to the ufUal fate of*
periodical undertakings o f fuch confiderable extent, a variety
o f eaufes has, at different times, retarded its regular progrefs;
infomuch, that the 15th fafciculus only, completing the
number o f 900 plates, or 5 volumes, made its appearance in
1782.
This work may be purchafed either Coloured or plain.
The names o f the plants are not engraved on the plates';
neither from the nature o f the fubjedl could any regular
method, or fyftem, be obferved in the publication.
The plants are feparately figured ; each engraving contains
one plant- only, except in thofe of the clafs Crypto-
gamia, where, in fome inftances, feveral are given in the
fame plate.
Prefixed to each fafciculus is a nomenclature, with the
Linnaean names, and a few feledt fynonyms, and an account
o f the places of growth. As often as the fize will admit,
the plant is exhibited in its natural magnitude ; m others, a
branch only ; and, in moll inftances, the parts of fructification
are feparately delineated : an article indifpenfable to
botanical accuracy.
In fome o f the larger, plants, befide the branch o f the na- chap.
turai fize, the whole is given on a reduced fcale ; but it muft. -. ‘ -■
be confeffed, that this part o f the defign is the leaft meritorious
: happily it does not often occur.
The 1 2-th fafciculusì in 1 7 7 7 , was accompanied with an;
index o f all the plants already engraved, or intended to be
contained in this work ; by which it appears, that the whole
number- will nearly amount to 18 00 fpecies ; o f which more
rhan 5 70 are o f the clafs Cryptogamia ; or that which contains
the ferns, molTes, algae, and fungi.1 And, that any-
curious perfons, yet unacquainted with this wor-k, .may judge
how far it might be fubfervient to their knowledge o f Eng-
lifh botany, it may- be added, , that, out o f 980 fpecies already
figured in the 15 firft fafciculi,.more than 700 a re -
alfo fpontaneoufly produced in Britain.
Magnificent and accurate as this work is, and though
carried on at the king’s e x pence,-truth will not be offended'
by aliening, that the execut ion o f i-t is ftill inferior to a performance
o f the -fame kind, now publilhing in England, at
the rifk o f an individual. I alludeto M-r.-Curtis’s"Ffer« Lon-
dinmfis ; which, for-the magnitude o f the plates, the nice;
difcrimination and figures.®f the frudtifieation-, has not been-,
paralleled by any other-publication -offuch feopeand defign ; ;
nor is the merit of the Flòra Londinenfis; confined to the ac-
curate elegance of-the plates : :it contains a minute defcrip-
tion of each plant; and is enriched by fcientifick, ufeful, and
«economical obfervations,. either extradted from the beft
writers, or derived from the extcnfive knowledge-of its au- -
thor. It is but juftiee to add, that the minute-plants o f the
clafs Cryptogamia, in the delineation o f whioh. the-Flora Danica
is extremely deficient, are figured with the uiinoil ex-
adlnefs by Mr. Curtis, who has .introduced to the Englilh bo-.-
tanift !