Herbier général de l'amateur, contenant la description, l'histoire, les propriétés et la culture des végétaux utiles et agréables [...].

8 vol. 8vo; 551 (of 575) pl., of which 6 fold. (half title, title, 24 pl. and several pp. at the end lacking in vol. VIII; occasional foxing, some margins of pl. stained).

Publisher's green cloth, flat spines, brown sprinkled edges (sl. rubbed, spines sl. faded).

First edition. "The most important French flower periodical of its day" (J.J. White, in "Delectus Hunteriana" 26) started by de Launay (1750-1816) and continued after his death in 1816 by Deslongchamps (1774-1849). With 551 hand-coloured, tissue-guarded pl. accompanied by extensive, descriptive text leaves (the pl. numbers 171 & 172 have been used twice as listed in the Errata to vol. 3, pl. 199bis is a true bis-pl.). The plates are after the paintings by Pancrace Bessa (1772-1835), pupil of Van Spaendonck and Redouté, and painter at the Museum National d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. This copy contains the often lacking pl. 384 "Dianthus carophyllus" (Stafleu & Cowan only quotes 574 pl. and states that pl. 384 was never publ.). Ref. Nissen, BBI, 2323. - Pritzel 6418. - Stafleu & Cowan 4952. - Bn-Opale plus.