Institutiones rei herbariae. Editio altera, gallica longue auctior, quingentis circiter tabulis aeneis adornata [- Corollarium institutionum rei herbariae [...]].

3 vol., 4to: Text, 2 parts in 1 vol.: [20]-697-[1-2 bl.], [1-2 bl.]-[6]-54-[5-1] pp. Atlas, 2 vol.: [1]-250 pl., [1]-251/489 pl. (some min. browning, more frequent in the 2nd vol).

Contemp. brown morocco, triple gilt-ruled border on covers, gilt orn. flat spines, marbled endpapers, all edges red. Good set.

First Latin edition of "Éléments de botanique" (1694) augmented with text and plates, and first edition of "Corollarium" by the French botanist J. Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708). Ill. with repeated front. in the plate vol. and 489 engr. plates after Cl. Aubriet showing flowers, grains, mushrooms, algae etc. of which the last 13 (numb. 477-489) relating to "Corollarium" and shown for the first time. Pitton de Tournefort is often credited with being the first to make a clear distinction between genus and species however this was not particularly original. Also the classification followed in this work neglected some important divisions botanists had established earlier. Yet the text was so clearly written, so full of valuable information and well structured that it became popular amongst botanists.
Ref. Pritzel 9427 & 9428. - Nissen 1977. - Stafleu & Cowan VI:14.783. - BnF. - COPAC.