Historical Bibliography Updated: June 16, 2026
Thesaurus Zeylanicus exhibens plantas in Insula Zeylana nascentes; Inter quas plurimae novae species, & genera inveniuntur. Omnia Iconibus illustrata, ac descripta.
Publication Details
Amsterdam: Janssonio-Waesbergios & Salomonem Schouten, 1737 CE.
The first illustrated flora of Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon). Burman, a Dutch physician, was a friend and correspondent of Linnaeus and professor of botany. "Indeed, Linnaeus, as a guest at the Burman house, had a hand in the perfecting of the 'Thesaurus Zeylanicus' itself" (Hunt 501). The final part is subtitled Catalogi duo plantarum Africanorum and is basically a list of plants collected by Paul Hermann, who had visited South Africa on his way to Ceylon. Stafleu, Linnaeus and the Linnaeans, p.165). Digital facsimile from Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.
Browse Tags
Thematic Classifications
| Catalog Metadata | Reference Information |
|---|---|
| Entry Number | #13263 |
| Permanent Link | https://staging.historyofmedicine.com/entry/15529 |
| Author Bio Link | plants.jstor.org ↗ |
| External URL | thesaurus-zeylanicus-exhibens-plantas-in-insula-zeylana-nascentes-inter-quas-plurimae-novae-species-genera-inveniuntur-omnia-iconibus-illustrata-ac-descripta |
Geographic Context
Publication place: Amsterdam