Edward James Ravenscroft (1816-1890), was the author of The Pinetum Britannicum (1884), a monumental 3-volume work, which describes and depicts exotic coniferous trees that were cultivated in Britain in the 19th century, when they were at the height of popularity.

The work is illustrated with William Richardson’s hand-colored lithographs of trees shown in their native habitat or under cultivation in British gardens. The Pinetum Britannicum is regarded as a landmark publication on conifers, and both Napoleon III and Queen Victoria subscribed to its first edition.

Publication details

Ravenscroft, Edward James (1816-1890). The Pinetum Britannicum, a descriptive account of hardy coniferous trees cultivated in Great Britain. Edinburgh and London: Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., for W. Blackwood & Sons, [1863]-1884. Hand-coloured lithographic plates by William Richardson, James Black, R.K. Greville, and J. Wallace, lithographed by A. Murray, Robert Black, Fr. Schenk, J. M'Nab and M.T. Masters, 4 mounted albumen photographs by F. Mason, one lithographic plate of maps, and numerous wood-engraved text illustrations

This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Ravenscr. when citing

Author citation (botany)

In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...

 a botanical name

Botanical name

A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...

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