The Natural History of New Spain

The Natural History of New Spain (Historia Natural de Nueva España) is the first systematic natural history of the Americas, written by Francisco Hernández de Toledo between 1571 and 1576 during a seven-year expedition commissioned by King Philip II of Spain. Working with indigenous healers and assisted by three native painters, Hernández cataloged over three thousand plant species, recording their Nahuatl names, physical descriptions, medicinal properties, and uses. This Lex edition is the first complete English translation, covering Books 1 through 7 of the Historia de las Plantas de Nueva España. Each entry preserves the original Nahuatl plant names and Galenic medicinal terminology. Hernández's manuscript was the most comprehensive work of natural history since Pliny the Elder, and remained the authoritative reference on New World botany into the nineteenth century.