> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 577](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33333716) of TL-2 Vol. V > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/9606-1) LSID 9606-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q936580) QID Q936580 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] ### Author Sibthorp, John (1758-1796), British botanist; MA Oxford 1780, MD 1784; studied with A.L. de Jussieu at Paris 1781-1782 and with A. Broussonet at Montpellier 1782-1783; professor of botany and director of the Botanical Garden Oxford 1784-1796 as successor to his father H.W. Sibthorp; in Götingen 1784-1785, worked with N.J. von Jacquin 1785; travelled in Greece with Ferdinand Bauer 1786-1787; with Francis Borone in Turkey and the Peloponnese 1794-1795. **Abbreviated name**: *Sibth.* \[standard form in IPNI: *Sibth.*\] #### Herbarium and types [[Collection OXF|OXF]] (herb., mss.); duplicates in [[Collection BM|BM]], [[Collection UPS|UPS]] (herb. Thunberg). *Letters* in [[Collection BM|BM]] (Bloomsbury and [[Collection NH|NH]]), [[Collection HU|HU]], [[Collection LINN|LINN]]; letters to John Hawkins in West Sussex Record Office, Chichester; other manuscripts at Lincolnshire Record Office, London. – John Sibthorp collected plants on two trips to the Mediterranean. On his first trip (1786-1787), Sibthorp was accompanied by Ferdinand Bauer, whom he had engaged in Vienna. The second trip was made 1794-1795. Sibthorp started work on a *Flora graeca*, but died soon after his return from Greece. He left a will providing funds for the publication of an illustrated *Flora graeca* in 10 folio volumes (with 100 plates each) and an unillustrated *Prodromus* to be compiled with the help of his manuscripts, drawings and specimens by a "competent botanist". Sir Joseph Banks arranged for James Edward Smith to be appointed to this position. Smith carried out the work and published the *Flora graeca* as well as the *Prodromus*. The original material (manuscripts, specimens, but not the drawings) is at [[Collection OXF|OXF]]. #### Bibliography and biography AG 2(1): 22, 5(2): 93, 702, 6(2): 938, 12(3): 57; Barnhart 3: 275 (b. 28 Oct 1758, d. 8 Feb 1796); BB p. 275; Blunt p. 116, 191, 195-197, 264; BM 4: 1920; Bossert p. 366; Clokie p. 38-42, 244; Dawson p. 752-754; DNB 18: 189-190; Dryander 3: 137; DU 282; Frank 3 (Anh.): 96-97; GF p. 76; GR p. 380, cat. p. 71; Hegi 5(2): 1130; Henrey 3: 113-114 (nos. 1318-1320), and see indexes; Herder p. 205, 206, 412; Hortus 3: 1204; IH 1 (ed 2): 92, (ed. 3): 117, (ed. 6): 364, (ed. 7): 342; Jackson p. 258, 312; Kelly p. 214; Lasègue p. 276, 324, 331, 353, 406, 502, 530, 531; LS 24868; NI 1840, see indexes; Plesch p. 406; PR 2322, 8658-8660, ed. 1: 9616-9618, 10962; Rehder 1: 396, 448; RS p. 142; Saccardo 1: 154, 2: 101; SK 4: ccxiii; Sotheby 698; Stevenson p. 1258; TL-1/448, 1226-1227, see F.L. Bauer; TL-2/see F.L. Bauer; Tucker 1: 649; Zander ed. 10, p. 717, ed. 11, p. 817. #### Biofile - Allibone, S.A., Crit. dict. Engl. litt. 2: 2094. 1878. - Anon., Act. Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 24: 631. 1861; Nieuwe Alg. Konst-Letter-bode 1796(114): 73 (d.; plants and libr. to OXF). - Boissier, P.E., Fl. orient. xii, xv, xvi. 1867. - Bridson, G.D.R. et al., Nat. hist. mss. res. Brit. Isl. 436 \[index\]. 1980. - Bruce, M.R., Taxon 19: 347-356. 1970 (biogr., portr., "as a man, I find John Sibthorp to be a single-minded fanatic"; important assessment based on original sources). - Candolle, Alph. de, Phytographie 450. 1880. - Coats, A.M., Huntia 2: 211. 1965 (portr. and text), The plant hunters 25-28. 1969. - Dawson, W.R., Smith papers 86. 1934. - Druce, G.C., Bot. Soc. Exch. Club Brit. Isl. Rep. 7(1): 355-363. 1924; Fl. Oxfordsh. 387. 1886, xciv-cii. 1927; Fl. Berkshire cxlvi. 1897 (on Fl. oxon.); Fl. Buckinghamshire xcv. 1926 (Fl. oxon.). - Ehrendorfer, F., Plant. Syst. Evol. 124: 177. 1975 (Fl. graec. Prodr. later than Willdenow, Sp. pl. 4(2). Easter 1806, fide G. Buchheim). - Fletcher, H.R., Story R. Hort. Soc. 7, 37, 263, 416. 1969. - Greene, E.L., Bull. Torrey bot. Club 14: 178, 257. 1887 (on Fl. graec. prodr.). - Hoefer, ed., Nouv. biogr. gén. 43: 942-943. 1867. - Jessen, K.F.W., Bot. Gegenw. Vorz. 301-302, 364, 395. 1864. - Kent, D.H. & D.E. Allen, Brit. Irish herb. 242. 1984 (Brit. herb. not traced). - Lowden, R.M., Taxon, Index pers. names vols. 1-30. 667. 1985. - Rix, M., The art of the botanist 223 \[index\]. 1981. - Roemer, J.J., Arch. Bot. 1(3): 173-174. 1798. - Smith, J.E. *in* A. Rees, Cycl. 32: Sibthorp 1819 (an eminent botanist and traveller). - Smith, Lady, Memoir corr. J.E. Smith 1: 131, 460, 463, 465, 467, 471. 1821. - Stearn, W.T., Taxon 16: 168-178. 1967 (on *Fl. graeca* and *Fl. graec. prodr.*); Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 8: 285-298. 1976 (from Theophrastus and Dioscorides to Sibthorp and Smith: the background and origin of the *Flora graeca*). - Stieber, M.T. et al., Huntia 4(1): 86. 1981 (arch. mat. in HU). - Swann, C.K., J. Soc. Bibl. nat. Hist. 3(3): 126. 1956 (on Bohn copies). - Shaw, H.K.A. & W.B. Turrill, Bull. misc. Inf. Kew 1926: 120-128. 1926 (revision of Sibthorp's plants at Kew). - Turrill, W.B., Bull. misc. Inf. Kew 1926: 111. 1926 (Sibthorp in the Gallipoli Peninsula), 1937: 197, 204. 1937 (Sibthorp on Athos Peninsula). - Verdoorn, F., ed., Chron. bot. 3: 166. 1937, 6: 63. 1941. - Walpole, R., ed., Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey 1817, Travels in various countries of the East, 1820 (n.v., fide M.R. Bruce; contain extracts from S.'s journals and notes). - Walters, S.M., Eur. florist. tax. stud. 15. 1975. #### Handwriting Clokie p. 280. ### Publications ##### n.11.933. Flora oxoniensis **Title** *Flora oxoniensis*, exhibens plantas in agro oxoniensi sponte crescentes, secundum systema sexuale distributas... Oxonii \[Oxford\] (Typis academicis...) 1794. Oct. **Abbreviated title**: *Fl. oxon.* **Notes** *Publ*.: Apr 1794 (received by Royal Society of London on 10 Apr 1794 (inf. W.T. Stearn), letter S. to J.E. Smith, see Lady Smith 1: 460. 1832), p. \[i\]-xxiv, \[1\]-422, \[423-436, indexes\], \[437, err.\]. *Copies*: FH, FI, G, HH, MICH, MO, NY, USDA; IDC 6471. ##### n.11.934. Florae Graecae prodromus **Title** *Florae Graecae prodromus*: sive plantarum omnium enumeratio, quas in provinciis aut insulis Graeciae invenit Johannes Sibthorp, M.D.... Hic illam etiam insertae sunt pauculae species quas vir idem clarissimus, graeciam versus navigans, in itinere, praesertim apud Italiani et Siciliani, invenerit. Characteres et synonymia omnium cum annotationibus elaboravit. Jacobus Edvardus Smith, M.D.... Londini (Typis Richardi Taylor et Socii,...) 1806-1813. 2 vols. Oct. **Abbreviated title**: *Fl. Graec. prodr.* **Notes** *Co-author*. James Edward Smith (1759-1828). 1(1): Oct-Nov 1806 (see TL-1), p. \[i\]-xvi, \[1\]-218, \[1, colo., dated 1806\]. 1(2): Mai-Nov 1809, p. 219-442. 2(1): 1813, p. \[i-iii\], \[1\]-210, \[1, colo. dated 1813\]. 2(2): 1816 (p. 422), p. 211-422. *Copies*: B, BM, BR, FI, G, M, MO, NY, PH, U, USDA; IDC 560. – For dates see e.g. Stearn (1967). – Willdenow, Sp. pl. 4(2) was published Apr-Mai 1806 and hence has priority over Fl. Graec. prodr. 1(1), see Ehrendorfer (1975). ##### n.11.935. Flora graeca **Title** *Flora graeca*: sive plantarum rariorum historia, quas in provinciis aut insulis Graeciae legit, investigavit, et depingi curavit Johannes Sibthorp, M.D.... hic illam etiam insertae sunt pauculae species quas vir idem clarissimus, Graeciam versus navigans, in itinere, praesertim apud Italiani et Siciliam, invenerit. Characteres omnium, descriptiones et synonyma, elaboravit Jacobus Edvardus Smith, M.D.... vol. i \[-x\], Londini (typis Richardi Taylor et Socii,...) 1806 \[-1840\]. 10 vols. Fol. **Abbreviated title**: *Fl. graec*. **Notes** *Co-author*: James Edward Smith (1759-1828) (for vols. 8-10: John Lindley (1799-1865)). *1*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\]-viii, \[1\]-82, *pl. 1-100.* – T.p. dated 1806. *2*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-83, \[84, dated 1816\], *pl. 101-200.* – T.p. dated 1813. *3*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-93, *pl. 201-300.* – T.p. dated 1819. *4*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-88 (dated 1824), *pl. 301-400.* – T.p. dated 1823. *5*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-81, \[82, dated 1825\]. – T.p. dated 1825. *6*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-80 (dated 1827), *pl*. 5*01-600*. – T.p. dated 1827. *7*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-87, \[88, dated 1832\], *pl. 601-700.* – T.p. dated 1830. *8*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-75 (dated 1835), *pl. 701-800.* – T.p. dated 1833. *9*: engr. t.p., p \[i\], \[1\]-77, (78, dated 1838), *pl. 801-900.* – T.p. dated 1837. *10*: engr. t.p., p. \[i\], \[1\]-106, \[107, *pl. 901-966.* – T.p. dated 1840. |vol. |fasc. |pages |*plates* |dates| |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- | |1 |1 |i-viii, 1-36 |1-50 |1806 (prob. Nov)| | |2 |37-82 |51-100 |1808 (prob. Mai)| |2 |1 |1-40 |101-150 |1813| | |2 |41-83 |151-200 |1836| |3 |1 |1-46 |201-250 |1819| | |2 |47-93 |251-300 |1821| |4 |1 |1-44 |301-350 |1823| | |2 |45-88 |351-400 |1824| |5 |1 |1-38 |401-450 |1825| | |2 |39-81 |451-500 |1825| |6 |1 |1-42 |501-550 |1825| | |2 |43-80 |551-600 |1827| |7 |1 |1-46 |601-650 |Jun 1831| | |2 |47-88 |651-700 |1832| |8 |1 |1-36 |701-750 |1832| | |2 |37-75 |751-800 |1835 (prob. Mai-Jun)| |9 |I |1-38 |801-850 |1837 (prob. Mai)| | |2 |39-77 |851-900 |Feb 1839| |10 |1 |1-40 |901-950 |1840 (prob. Jul)| | |I |41-106 |951-966 |Nov 1840| *Copies*: DBN (orig. issue), G, MO, NY; IDC 323. *Note*: For further information see Greene (1887), Lady Smith (1832), Stearn (1967/1976) and Henrey (2: 113-114). – Only 25-30 copies were issued of the original issue (see Henrey); however, further copies (ca. 40?) with the original text and a large number of the plates reprinted on paper water-marked 1845, were issued by Henry G. Bohn. For notes on this reprint see Flora 28: 576. 1845 and Henrey. – The engraved title pages have the title *Flora graeca sibthorpiana*. – G.A. Pritzel reviewed the book in Gersdorff, Leipziger Repert. 33: 258-261. 1847 and in Bot. Zeit. 5: 794-796. 1847. *Facsimile ed*.: announced, but not published, by Acad. Verl.-Ges. Graz. *Proposals for publishing the Flora Graeciae* of the late John Sibthorp,... compiled from the mss. notes of the author, by James Edward Smith,... London s.d., p. \[1-2\]. *Copy*: DBN.