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Historical Bibliography Updated: June 16, 2026

Directions for bringing over seeds and plants from the East-Indies and other distant countries in a state of vegetation: Together with a catalogue of such foreign plants as are worthy of being encouraged in our American colonies, for the purposes of medicine, agriculture, and commerce. To which is added the figure and botanical description of a new sensitive plant, called Dionaea muscipula: or, Venus's Fly-Trap.

Publication Details

London: L. Davis, 1770 CE.

On p. 34 Ellis published with a separate part title, A botanical description of the Dionaea Muscipula, or Venus's Fly-Trap. A newly-discovered sensitive plant: In a letter to Sir Charles Linnaeus, Knight of the Polar Star, Physician to the king of Sweden, and Member of most of the learned societies of Europe from John Ellis, Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Upsal. This included the first published image of the Venus Fly-Trap. Digital facsimile from huntbotanical.org at this link.


John Ellis's plate of the Venus Fly-Trap, Dionaea Muscipula

Thematic Classifications

Catalog MetadataReference Information
Entry Number#12707
Permanent Linkhttps://staging.historyofmedicine.com/entry/14952
Author Bio LinkWikipedia ↗
External URLdirectionns-for-bringing-over-seeds-and-plants-from-the-eastindies-and-other-distant-countries-in-a-state-of-vegetation-together-with-a-catalogue-of-such-foreign-plants-as-are-worthy-of-being-encouraged-in-our-american-colonies-for-the-purposes-of-medicine-agriculture-and-commerce-to-which-is-added-the-figure-and-botanical-description-of-a-new-sensitive-plant-called-dionaea-muscipula-or-venuss-flytrap

Geographic Context

Publication place: London