Species First Described, Collected or
Illustrated by William Bartram

uring his travels William Bartram collected many new plants. As explained elsewhere in this publication, very few of his names became accepted by the scientific community for a variety of reasons.
In the Travels William Bartram compiled the most complete list of Birds in North America at the time and he was certainly the first naturalist to describe many of the native Southern and neotropical birds. Unfortunately his record as an originator of ornithological names has been worse than for botanical names. For a more complete discussion of William Bartram’s position in the history of American ornithology see Francis Harper’ Naturalist Edition.
Below is a list of species that could have been attributed to William Bartram. This list has been gleaned from Francis Harper’s work and is open to suggestions or corrections, especially the list of birds. It is organized alphabetically by common name.

*Indicates species for which Bartram is the authority.

Plants
Latin name	Common name	Bartram’s name
Magnolia macrophylla	Big Leaf Magnolia	Magnolia auriculata
Aesculus parviflora	Bottlebrush Buckeye	Aesculus alba
Sabal palmetto	Cabbage Palm/Palmetto	Corypha palma
Kalmia hirsuta	Calico Bush	Kalmia ciliata
*Aesculus sylvatica	Carolina Buckeye	Aesculus sylvatica
Nemastylis floridana	Celestial Lily	Ixia Caelestina
Prunus angustifolia	Chickasaw Plum	Prunus chickasaw
Aster carolinianus	Climbing Aster	Aster fructicosus
Heracleum lanatum	Cow Parsnip	Heracleum maximum
*Quercus hemisphaerica	Darlington Oak	Quercus hemispherica
*Serenoa repens	Dwarf Saw Palmetto	Corypha repens
Asimina parviflora	Dwarf Pawpaw	Annona pigmea
Pinckneya pubens	Fevertree	Bignonia bracteata
Rhododendron calendulaceum	Flame Azalea	Azalea flammula
Ceratiola ericoides	Florida Rosemary	Empetrum album
*Franklinia alatamaha	Franklinia	Franklinia alatamaha
Magnolia fraseri	Fraser Magnolia	Magnolia ariculata
Garberia fructicosa	Garberia	Cacalia heterophylla
Elliottia racemosa	Georgia Plume	none
Hypericum frondosum	Golden St. Johns Wort	Hypericum aureum
Sarracenia minor	Hooded Pitcher Plant	Saracinia lacunosa
Lupinus villosus	Lady Lupine	Lupinus breunis
*Oenothera grandiflora	Large Flowered Evening Primrose	Oenothera grandiflora
Rhododendron minus	Lesser Rose Bay	Rhododendron ferrugineum
Stewartia ovata	Mountain Camellia	Stewartia montana
*Hydrangea quercifolia	Oakleaf Hydrangea	Hydrangea quercifolia
*Myrica inodorata	Odorless Wax Myrtle	Myrica inodorata
*Nyssa Ogeche	Ogeechee Lime	Nyssa Ogeeche
Leucothoe populifolia	Pipewood	Andromeda formosissima
Asclepias humistrata	Purple Milkweed	Asclepsias carnosa
*Magnolia pyramidata	Pyramid Magnolia	Magnolia Pyramidata
Hymenocallis coronaria	Rocky Shoals Spider Lily	Pancratium fluitans
*Roystonea elata	Royal Palm	Palma elata
Sabatia grandifloria	Savannah Pink	Chironia pulcherrima
Sebastiana ligustrina	Sebastian Bush	Stillingia fructicosa
Asimina incana	Showy Pawpaw	Annona incana
Cleome houteanna	Spider Flower	Cleome lupinifolia
Befaria racemosa	Tarflower	Kalmia spuria
*Quercus incana	Upland Willow Oak/Blue Jack	Quercus incana
Ilex vomitoria	Yaupon Holly	Cassine yapon
Illicium parviflorum	Yellow Anise Tree	Illisium
Zenobia pulverulenta	Zenobia	Andromeda pulverulenta
Animals
Latin Name	Common Name	Bartram’s Name
Botaurus lentiginosus	American Bittern	Ardea mugitans
Casmerodius albas egretta	American Egret	Ardea immaculata
Strix varia	Barred Owl	Strix acclamator
Coragyps atratus	Black Vulture	Vulture atratus
Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli	Black-crowned Night Heron	Ardea clamator
Spiza americana	Dicksissel	Calandra pratensis
Phalacrocorax auritus	Double Breasted Cormorant	Colymbus migratorius
Ixobrychus exilis	Eastern Least Bittern	Ardea parva
Sylvilacus floridanus	Eastern Cottontail	Lepus minor
*Grus Canadensis Pratensis	Florida Sandhill Crane	Grus pratensis
Aramus guarauna	Florida Limpkin	Tantalus pictus
Phalacrocorax floridanus	Florida Cormorant	Colymbus Floridanus
Aphelocoma coerulescens	Florida Scrub Jay	Corvus floridanum
Canis niger	Florida Wolf	Lupus niger
*Gopherus polyphemus	Gopher Tortoise	Testudo polyphemus
Aythya marila	Greater Scaup Duck	Anas subcerulea
Histrionicus histrionicus	Harlequin Duck	Anas principalis
Anas carolinensis	Least Green Winged Teal	Anas migratoria
Ictinia Mississippiensis	Mississippi Kite	Falco subcerulius
Anhinga anhinga	Snake Bird, Water Turkey	Colymbus columbrinus
Chaenobryttus coronarius	Warmouth/Yellow Bream	Cyprinus coronarius
Elanus leucurus	White Tailed Kite	Falco glaucus
Heliconius charitonius	Zebra Butterfly