Bartram's Plants

Bartram's Plants. Volusia County Bartram Trail. , A Connection with Wild Nature , William Bartram's Quaker upbringing held a view of nature as a reflection of God. Scientists continue to examine his accounts for their accurate descriptions of the Florida environment before the impact of modern development. , His writing and artwork introduced the very idea of wilderness as something that should be celebrated and conserved, influencing generations of poets, artists, writers and naturalists. , The Library of America states that William Bartram was "the first American to devote his entire life to what we would now call the environment." Travels was among the first books published in the United States documenting the landscapes, biota, and native people of the Southeast. , Fever Bark , Bartram first identified Fever Bark in Coastal Georgia and along the St. Johns River on his first exploration in 1765. The plant is related to the Cinchona Tree of South America, which is the original source of quinine. , Native Americans and pioneers used the Fever Bark to relieve fevers from yellow fever and malaria. William requested that the plant be formally named Bartramia bracteata, in honor of his father, but Andre Michaux named for Charles Pinckney instead.