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Journal of Botany, British and Foreign

scientific journal (1863–1942)

Specimen drawers, botanical folios and brass scientific instruments under study light
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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 17, 2026
Entity authorityQ6294875 ↗
Source-derived summary

Journal of Botany, British and Foreign is a monthly journal that was published from 1863 to 1942, and founded by Berthold Carl Seemann who was the editor until his death in 1871. It was initially published by Robert Hardwicke. Seemann himself took on most of the financial responsibility for the journal, which was never profitable, although he was assisted by various other botanists. He was succeeded as editor by Henry Trimen an employee of the British Museum, who also probably took on the expense of running it. Trimen resigned as editor on being appointed director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Ceylon in 1879, and was succeeded by James Britten, another employee of the British Museum, who continued in the post for 45 years.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Journal of Botany, British and Foreign” is scientific journal (1863–1942). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Journal, Botany and British, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1863, 1942, 1871, 1879—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1863. For this dossier, Journal, Botany and British is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “scientific journal (1863–1942)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6294875. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1863, 1942, 1871 and 1879.

Critical limits

Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
Verify next

Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Journal of Botany, British and Foreign”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Journal of Botany, British and Foreign primary sources, Journal of Botany, British and Foreign archive and Journal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Journal of Botany, British and Foreign”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Journal of Botany, British and Foreign” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.