Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis Explained

Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis (1824–1873), also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. (DC.), is a 17-volume treatise on botany initiated by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. De Candolle intended it as a summary of all known seed plants, encompassing taxonomy, ecology, evolution and biogeography. He authored seven volumes between 1824 and 1839, but died in 1841. His son, Alphonse de Candolle, then took up the work, editing a further ten volumes, with contributions from a range of authors. Volume 17 was published in October 1873. The fourth and final part of the index came out in 1874. The Prodromus remained incomplete, dealing only with dicotyledons.

In the Prodromus, De Candolle further developed his concept of families. Note that this system was published well before there were internationally accepted rules for botanical nomenclature. Here, a family is indicated as "ordo". Terminations for families were not what they are now. Neither of these phenomena is a problem from a nomenclatural perspective, the present day ICN provides for this. Within the dicotyledons ("classis prima DICOTYLEDONEÆ") the De Candolle system recognises (Pagination from Prodromus, 17 Parts) the list:

System

Subclassis I. THALAMIFLORÆ [Part I]

ordo I. RANUNCULACEÆ (Page 1)

ordo II. DILLENIACEÆ (Page 67)

ordo III. MAGNOLIACEÆ (Page 77)

ordo IV. ANONACEÆ [sic] (Page 83)

ordo V. MENISPERMACEÆ (Page 95)

ordo VI. BERBERIDEÆ

ordo VII. PODOPHYLLACEÆ

ordo VIII. NYMPHÆACEÆ

ordo VIIIbis. SARRACENIACEÆ

ordo IX. PAPAVERACEÆ

ordo X. FUMARIACEÆ (Page 125)

ordo XIbis. RESEDACEÆ

ordo XI. CRUCIFERÆ

ordo XII. CAPPARIDEÆ

ordo XIII. FLACOURTIANEÆ

ordo XIV. BIXINEÆ

ordo XIVbis. LACISTEMACEÆ

ordo XV. CISTINEÆ

ordo XVI. VIOLARIEÆ

ordo XVII. DROSERACEÆ

ordo XVIII. POLYGALACEÆ

ordo XIX. TREMANDREÆ

ordo XX. PITTOSPOREÆ

ordo XXI. FRANKENIACEÆ

ordo XXII. CARYOPHYLLEÆ

ordo XXIII. LINEÆ

ordo XXIV. MALVACEÆ

ordo XXV. BOMBACEÆ [sic]

ordo XXVI. BYTTNERIACEÆ

ordo XXVII. TILIACEÆ

ordo XXVIII. ELÆOCARPEÆ

ordo XXIX. CHLENACEÆ

ordo XXIXbis. ANCISTROCLADEÆ

ordo XXIXter. DIPTEROCARPEÆ

ordo XXIXter.[sic] LOPHIRACEÆ

ordo XXX. TERNSTROEMIACEÆ

ordo XXXI. CAMELLIEÆ

ordo XXXII. OLACINEÆ

ordo XXXIII. AURANTIACEÆ

ordo XXXIV. HYPERICINEÆ

ordo XXXV. GUTTIFERÆ

ordo XXXVI. MARCGRAVIACEÆ

ordo XXXVII. HIPPOCRATEACEÆ

ordo XXXVIII. ERYTHROXYLEÆ

ordo XXXIX. MALPIGHIACEÆ

ordo XL. ACERINEÆ

ordo XLI. HIPPOCASTANEÆ

ordo XLII. RHIZOBOLEÆ

ordo XLIII. SAPINDACEÆ

ordo XLIV. MELIACEÆ

ordo XLV. AMPELIDEÆ

ordo XLVI. GERANIACEÆ

ordo XLVII. TROPÆOLEÆ

ordo XLVIII. BALSAMINEÆ

ordo XLIX. OXALIDEÆ

ordo L. ZYGOPHYLLEÆ

ordo LI. RUTACEÆ

ordo LII. SIMARUBEÆ [sic]

ordo LIII. OCHNACEÆ

ordo LIV. CORIARIEÆ (Page 739)(Index to Part I p. 741)

Subclassis II. CALYCIFLORÆ [Parts II – VII]

ordo LV. CELASTRINEÆ [Part II],(Page 2)

ordo LVI. RHAMNEÆ

ordo LVII. BRUNIACEÆ

ordo LVIII. SAMYDEÆ

ordo LIX. HOMALINEÆ

ordo LX. CHAILLETIACEÆ

ordo LXI. AQUILARINEÆ

ordo LXII. TEREBINTHACEÆ

ordo LXIII. LEGUMINOSÆ

ordo LXIV. ROSACEÆ (Page 525)

ordo LXV. CALYCANTHEÆ [Part III], (Page 1)

ordo LXVbis. MONIMIACEÆ

ordo LXVI. GRANATEÆ

ordo LXVII. MEMECYLEÆ

ordo LXVIII. COMBRETACEÆ

ordo LXIX. VOCHYSIEÆ

ordo LXX RHIZOPHOREÆ

ordo LXXI. ONAGRARIEÆ

ordo LXXII. HALORAGEÆ

ordo LXXIII. CERATOPHYLLEÆ

ordo LXXIV. LYTHRARIEÆ

ordo LXXIVbis. CRYPTERONIACEÆ

ordo LXXV. TAMARISCINEÆ

ordo LXXVI. MELASTOMACEÆ

ordo LXXVII. ALANGIEÆ

ordo LXXVIII. PHILADELPEÆ

ordo LXXIX. MYRTACEÆ

ordo LXXX. CUCURBITACEÆ

ordo LXXXI. PASSIFLOREÆ

ordo LXXXII. LOASEÆ

ordo LXXXIII. TURNERACEÆ

ordo LXXXIV. FOUQUIERACEÆ

ordo LXXXV. PORTULACEÆ

ordo LXXXVI. PARONYCHIEÆ

ordo LXXXVII. CRASSULACEÆ

ordo LXXXVIII. FICOIDEÆ (Page 415)

ordo LXXXIX. CACTEÆ

ordo XC. GROSSULARIEÆ

ordo XCI. SAXIFRAGACEÆ [Part IV], (Page 1)

ordo XCII. UMBELLIFERÆ

ordo XCIII. ARALIACEÆ

ordo XCIV. HAMAMELIDEÆ

ordo XCV. CORNEÆ

ordo XCVbis. HELWINGIACEÆ

ordo XCVI. LORANTHACEÆ

ordo XCVII. CAPRIFOLIACEÆ

ordo XCVIII. RUBIACEÆ

ordo XCIX. VALERIANEÆ

ordo C. DIPSACEÆ (Page 643)

ordo CI. CALYCEREÆ [Part V], (Page 1)

ordo CII. COMPOSITÆ (Page 4); [Part VI], (Page 1); [Part VII], (Page 1)

ordo CIII. STYLIDIEÆ [Part VII]

ordo CIV. LOBELIACEÆ

ordo CV. CAMPANULACEÆ

ordo CVI. CYPHIACEÆ

ordo CVII. GOODENOVIEÆ

ordo CVIII. ROUSSÆACEÆ

ordo CIX. GESNERIACEÆ

ordo CX. SPHENOCLEACEÆ

ordo CXI. COLUMELLIACEÆ

ordo CXII. NAPOLEONEÆ

ordo CXIII. VACCINIEÆ

ordo CXIV. ERICACEÆ (Page 580) (Four tribes)

Arbuteae (Page 580)

Andromedae (Page 588)

Ericeae (Page 612)

Rhodoreae (Page 712) (Two subtribes)

Rhododendreae (712) (Nine genera)

Rhododendron (719) (Six sections)

Buramia (720)

Hymenanthes (721)

Eurhododendron (721)

Pogonanthum (725)

Chamaecistus (725)

Tsutsusi (726)

Kalmia (728)

Ledeae (729)

ordo CXV. EPACRIDEÆ (Page 734)

ordo CXVI. PYROLACEÆ

ordo CXVII. FRANCOACEÆ

ordo CXVIII. MONOTROPEÆ (Page 779)

Subclassis III. COROLLIFLORÆ [Parts VIII – XIII(1)]

ordo CXIX. LENTIBULARIEÆ (Page 1)

ordo CXX. PRIMULACEÆ

ordo CXXI. MYRSINEACEÆ

ordo CXXII. ÆGICERACEÆ

ordo CXXIII. THEOPHRASTACEÆ

ordo CXXIV. SAPOTACEÆ

ordo CXXV. EBENACEÆ

ordo CXXVI. STYRACACEÆ

ordo CXXVII. OLEACEÆ

ordo CXXVIIbis. SALVADORACEÆ

ordo CXXVIII. JASMINEÆ

ordo CXXIX. APOCYNACEÆ

ordo CXXX. ASCLEPIADEÆ (Page 460)

ordo CXXX[a?] LEONIACEÆ

ordo CXXXI. LOGANIACEÆ [Part IX], (Page 1)

ordo CXXXII. GENTIANACEÆ

ordo CXXXIII. BIGNONIACEÆ

ordo CXXXIV. SESAMEÆ

ordo CXXXV. CYRTANDRACEÆ

ordo CXXXVI. HYDROPHYLLACEÆ

ordo CXXXVII. POLEMONIACEÆ

ordo CXXXVII. [sic] CONVOLVULACEÆ

ordo CXXXVIII. ERICYBEÆ

ordo CXXXIX. BORRAGINEÆ [sic] (Page 466); [Part X], (Page 1)

ordo CXL. HYDROLEACEÆ

ordo CXLII. SCROPHULARIACEÆ (Page 186)

ordo CXLII(I).[sic] SOLANACEÆ [Part XIII (1)], (Pages 1 – 692) out of sequence

ordo CXLIV. OROBRANCHACEÆ [Part XI], (Page 1)

ordo CXLV. ACANTHACEÆ

ordo CXLVI. PHRYMACEÆ

ordo CXLVII VERBENACEÆ

ordo CXLVIII MYOPORACEÆ (Page 701)

ordo CXLIX SELAGINACEÆ [Part XII], (Page 1)

ordo CL. LABIATÆ

ordo CLI. STILBACEÆ

ordo CLII. GLOBULARIACEÆ

ordo CLIII. BRUNONIACEÆ

ordo CLIV. PLUMBAGINEÆ (Page 617)

ordo CLV.[?] PLANTAGINACEÆ [Part XIII], (Page 693)

Subclassis IV. MONOCHLAMYDEÆ [Parts XIII(2) – XVI]

ordo CLVI. PHYTOLACCACEÆ (Page 2)

ordo CLVII. SALSOLACEÆ

ordo CLVIII. BASELLACEÆ

ordo CLIX. AMARANTACEÆ [sic]

ordo CLX. NYCTAGINACEÆ (Page 425)

ordo CLXI. POLYGONACEÆ [Part XIV], (Pages 1 – 186)

ordo CLXII. LAURACEÆ [Part XIV], (Page 186); [Part XV(1)], (Pages 1 – 260) out of sequence

ordo CLXIII. MYRISTICACEÆ (Page 187)

ordo CLXIV. PROTEACEÆ (Page 209)

ordo CLXV. PENÆACEÆ

ordo CLXVI. GEISSOLOMACEÆ (Page 491)

ordo CLXVII. THYMELÆACEÆ

ordo CLXVIII. ELÆAGNACEÆ

ordo CLXIX. GRUBBIACEÆ

ordo CLXX. SANTALACEÆ (Page 619)

ordo CLXXI. HERNANDIACEÆ [Part XV(1)], (Page 1)

ordo CLXXII. BEGONIACEÆ

ordo CLXXIII. DATISCACEÆ

ordo CLXXIV. PAPAYACEÆ

ordo CLXXV. ARISTOLOCHIACEÆ

ordo CLXXVbis. NEPENTHACEÆ

ordo CLXXVI. STACKHOUSIACEÆ (Page 419)

[sic]

ordo CLXXVIII. EUPHORBIACEÆ [Part XV(2)], (Page 1)

ordo CLXXIX. DAPHNIPHYLLACEÆ [Part XVI(1)], (Page 1)

ordo CLXXX. BUXACEÆ

ordo CLXXXbis. BATIDACEÆ

ordo CLXXXI. EMPETRACEÆ

ordo CLXXXII. CANNABINEÆ

ordo CLXXXIII. ULMACEÆ

ordo CLXXXIIIbis. MORACEÆ

ordo CLXXXIV. ARTOCARPEÆ

ordo CLXXXV. URTICACEÆ

ordo CLXXXVI. PIPERACEÆ

[sic]

ordo CLXXXVIII. CHLORANTHACEÆ

ordo CLXXXIX. GARRYACEÆ (Page 486)

ordo CXC. CUPULIFERÆ [Part XVI(2)], (Page 1)

ordo CXCI. CORYLACEÆ (Page 124)

ordo CXCII. JUGLANDEÆ (Page 134)

ordo CXCIII. MYRICACEÆ (Page 147)

ordo CXCIV. PLATANACEÆ

ordo CXCV. BETULACEÆ (Page 161)

ordo CXCVI. SALICINEÆ (Page 190)

ordo CXCVII CASUARINEÆ (Page 332)

Other

Somewhat inconsistently the Prodromus also treats:

ordo CXCVIII. GNETACEÆ (Page 347)

ordo CXCIX. CONIFERÆ (Page 361)

ordo CC. CYCADACEÆ (Pages 522 – 547)

ordo (dubiæ affin.) LENNOACEÆ

ordo (affin. dubiæ) PODOSTEMACEÆ

ordo num.? CYTINACEÆ

ordo incertae sedis BALANOPHORACEÆ

(Overall Index Part XVII Page 323)

See also

History of botany

Bibliography