Speaking of Linnaeus ....number of species described?

[Paul van Rijckevorsel]

From: Mary Barkworth <Mary at BIOLOGY.USU.EDU>
Then again, Heywood and Davis may have used the number from Harderwijk
and simply failed to cite their source. It happens, particularly when
writing a readable book as opposed to a scientific paper.

+ + +
Well, the book by Davis and Heywood (sorry about that) is from 1963.

How old the blurb text is I cannot tell at the moment, it is on the dust
cover of the Frances Lincoln edition of 2001. There is at least the
suggestion that Frances Lincoln Ltd. were serious since they asked
W.T.Stearn to do the introduction. Incidentally, in this introduction Stearn
gives 5,900 species as the number treated in the first edition of the
Species Plantarum (about five to a page), which also accords well with the
7,700 total (in Linnaeus' lifetime).

Out of curiosity I will try and look up the 1971 edition (the library should
have it) and see what its blurb text says.

Best,
Paul van Rijckevorsel
Utrecht, NL