Genera et species palmarum quas in itinere per brasiliam annis MDCCCXVII-MDCCCXX jussu et auspiciis Maximiliani Josephii I. Bavariae regis augustissimi suscepto collegit, descripsit et iconibus illustravit.

First instalment only, elephant folio: [4 (of 6)]-144 pp.; 104 (of 105) pl. (missing f. "Fautores", without? the engr. title and decorative title-page of Neureuther (not present in the digitzed copy of the "Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek" and probably not really missing in this particular edition), some staining and sm. holes on pp. 1-6, some min. spotting on the text ff., sm. tear in the blank margin of pl. 31, missing pl. 56).

Contemp. half green morocco, marbled paper on boards, flat spine (corners sl. bumped, rubbed at joints and sides). Very good, uncut copy.

Rather rare first edition (later issue?) of this monumental monograph on palms by the German botanist and explorer Von Martius (1794-1868), based on his travels in Brazil. Illustrated with 104 splendid hand-coloured lithographed numb. full-page plates protected with tissue guards (of which 7 separately numb. (in order of presence): 59A, 73.A, 73.B, 73.C, Tab.6.A., Tab.11.A. and Tab.18.A) by J.G. Zuccarini, T. Bischoff, Hellmuth, A. Manz, S. Minsinger, J. Pretele, lithographed by J. Prestele, W. Siegrist, A. Falger, Päringer, coloured by S. Minsinger.
From 1817 to 1820, von Martius undertook a trip to Brazil with von Spix with the Austrian Commission, which joined the wedding train of Archduchess Leopoldina of Austria and Dom Pedro de Alcantara, the future Emperor of Brazil. Von Martius was given the opportunity to do so because Leopoldina of Austria married the crown prince and later emperor of Brazil Pedro I. The King of Bavaria, Maximilian I Joseph, advised the Austrian Archduchess to take two scientific researchers with him on the Austrian Brazil expedition. During his trip to Brazil, he visited the Amazon region and extensively researched the plant world there. The palms received special attention, but he was also interested in medicinal plants. Von Spix and von Martius brought back to Munich an enormous natural history collection containing species of mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, insects, plants and seeds of an indubiatable interest. Unfortunately, many of the species are now extint or greatly diminished in number.
Ref. Sitwell & Blunt, p. 117 (with title "Nova genera et species"). - Stafleu & Cowan 5519 (with title "Nova genera et species"). - Nissen 1288 (with title "Nova genera et species"). - Pritzel 5888 (with title "Nova genera et species"). - Sabin 44989 (the only bibliographical reference with lemma "Genera et species"). - Cp. A Magnificent Collection of Botanical Books, 229 (title "Historia Naturalis Palmarum").