Sertum botanicum, collection de plantes remarquables par leur utilité, leur élégance, leur éclat ou leur nouveauté; consistant en six cents planches soigneusement lithographiées et coloriées, accompagnées d'un texte particulier pour chaque plante [...]. Par une société de botanistes.

4 vol., folio: 100 instalments, 600 pl. (some pp. sl. brown or fox., +/- 20 pl. dampstained, some edges dusty or frayed, sm. wormholes at the begin. of vol. 4).

Loose and untrimmed as published, instalments covers cons. (generally used, some blackened). Housed in 4 modern cloth portfolios, slipcases. Very good copy.

Original edition of this splendid flower book by the Belgian naturalists P.C. Van Geel (1796-1838) and P.-A. Joseph Drapiez (1778-1856), published in 100 instalments. Beautifully illustrated (complete) with 600 unnumb. cont. hand-coloured lithographed plates (except for one plate b/w) by the prominent Belgian lithographer Georges Severeyns and lithogr. by Burggraaff. Each plate is followed by a short explanation giving the classification and characteristics of the plant genus and the specificities of the variety. Contains an "Avis" (1 leaf) and an alphabetical list of the plant names in Latin and French (10 pp.) at the end of vol. 4. Most of the specimens illustrated here were ornamental flowering plants recently introduced into Europe for cultivation. In vol. 1, a prospectus for "Iconographie des camellies" by P.C. Van Geel. Rare large-margined untrimmed copy, complete with all the instalments covers. Ref. Nissen BBI 2386 (calls for 594 pl.). - Pritzel 566. - Brunet V:1074.