The History of Florilegium

A Florilegium is a collection of botanical works depicting the plants of an area. The word means ‘a gathering of flowers’, from Latin flos (flower) and legere (to gather). The first florilegia began in the sixteenth century when European royalty sent botanists and artists on Voyages of Exploration to collect and record plants from all parts of the world.  The lecture will include The Banks Florilegium, Hortus Florida and The Temple of Flora among other noted historical florilegia.