Andre Michaux in Florida: An Eighteenth-Century Botanical Journey

The book "Andre Michaux in Florida" is a comprehensive account of the eighteenth-century exploration of Florida by French botanist Andre Michaux. It combines his original journal with writings by later authors, historical background, and the author's narrative to provide a detailed view of his travels and discoveries in the region. The authors retrace Michaux's routes and document the plants he encountered, assessing his contributions alongside other well-known botanists. The book offers a historical and botanical perspective on Michaux's exploration and allows readers to experience the joy and excitement of his journey of discovery.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: University Press of Florida

The name Michaux is a common occurrence in the plant names of Florida,spanning from the endangered yellow violets that thrive in the panhandle to the Florida rosemary found in the scrub. Andre Michaux (1746-1803) was an extraordinary and dynamic individual who embarked on a remarkable exploration of North America during the eighteenth century. He holds the distinction of being the first trained botanist to extensively explore the wilderness east of the Mississippi River, including Spanish East Florida. This first book-length account of Michaux's Florida exploration combines his original journal with writings by later authors, historical background, and the author's own narrative to create a multifaceted and comprehensive treatise on Michaux's travels and discoveries in Florida.

Beginning with a biographical sketch on the life of Andre Michaux, the royal botanist for King Louis XVI of France, the authors trace (using 16 maps) the exploratory routes he took in Florida and recount historical events occurring in Florida at the time. They include in full documentary form all the plants he discovered, collected, and observed, and fully assess his findings so that his contributions can now be evaluated alongside those of better-known botanists, such as John Bartram and his son William, who acknowledged the Frenchman's abilities, writing that Michaux could traverse the same ground that he and his father had covered and find plants that they had missed.

From a historical as well as a botanical perspective, Andre Michaux in Florida re-creates the Florida exploration of a remarkable explorer and observer, allowing us to experience vicariously the vibrancy and joy of his journey of discovery.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813080451