The Writings of Ferdinand Lindheimer: Texas Botanist, Philosopher

In partnership with Asa Gray of Harvard University, Lindheimer spent eight years collecting Texas plants to distribute to a list of paying subscribers—including places like the British Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the Smithsonian Institution. Today, no fewer than 362 plant names are based, at least in part, on Lindheimer collections, and 65 plants have been named in his honor. Lindheimer was a founding settler of New Braunfels, raising his family on the banks of the Comal River while he continued to collect and ship plant specimens. He was “elected” as the first editor of the (still published today as the ), and served from 1852 to 1872. He wrote a number of articles for the on topics ranging from plants, climate, and agriculture to Texas Indian affairs, optimism, and teaching schoolchildren. In the last year of Lindheimer’s life, one of his students worked with him to collect an assortment of his essays and articles from the . In 1879, the collection was published as ( ). John E. Williams now offers the first English translation of these essays, which provides valuable insight into the natural and cultural history of Texas.