Historia plantarum universalis

work by Jean Bauhin

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June 29, 2026

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The Historia plantarum universalis is a significant botanical work compiled by Jean Bauhin, a Swiss physician and botanist. Published posthumously in 1650-51, it provided elaborate descriptions of over 5,000 plant species. This comprehensive catalog built upon the systematic classification efforts of earlier botanists and contributed to the growing understanding of plant diversity during its time. While Jean Bauhin is credited with this work, his brother, Gaspard Bauhin, was also a prominent botanist known for his pioneering binomial system of classification, which influenced later naturalists like Linnaeus.12

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Gaspard Bauhin
…botanist, is known for his Historia plantarum universalis (1650–51; “General History of Plants”), in which he rendered elaborate descriptions of more than 5,000 species.
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…botanist, is known for his Historia plantarum universalis (1650–51; “General History of Plants”), in which he rendered elaborate descriptions of more than 5,000 species.
Read More