About John Ray

His work has been highly significant within scientific circles, but is also important in our everyday understanding of plants and animals. For example, he coined the use of the terms petal and pollen and discovered that trees could be dated from their rings. A prolific author, traveller and correspondent with life-long interests in linguistics and theology as well as the natural sciences his most famous work is the Historia Plantarum. The first two volumes were published in 1686 and 1688 and were over 1000 pages each covering the plants of Britain and Europe. To this was added a third volume in 1704 on parts of America, Jamaica, Africa, and Far East. Volume I is part of the collection at the Museum.