Plantae selectae [...].

Folio: engr. title-[4]-56-[2] pp. (no portraits present, nor sectional titles V-X; some sl. spotting).

Cont. half red morocco, marbl. paper on covers (spotted, rubbed sides), flat gilt orn. spine (sl. rubbed). Good copy.

First edition of what Nissen calls "the most beautiful German plant-book; even among foreign works there are few which could compete with it". With 100 magnificent hand-coloured engraved plates after original paintings by Ehret engraved by J.J. Haid and J.E. Haid; each with the first word of the caption illuminated in gold. Also present here are 5 (of 10) "decuria" (sectional) titles illuminated in red and gold dated 1750, 1751, 1752, 1754, 1755 and general titles 1750-1773 which are often lacking. Superb copy of Trew and Ehret's much praised collaboration considered to be the finest botanical work ever printed in Germany. G.D. Ehret (1708-1770), a gardener and one of the great flower painters in the 18th c., known for his highly accurate and technically detailed drawings, was admired by Trew who became his lifelong friend and patron. Trew commissioned an unlimited number of large-sized paintings of rare flowers by Ehret which led to "one of the miracles of our century in the natural sciences". Trew died in 1769 and left the last three parts of "Plantae selectae" uncompleted. B.Chr. Vogel, professor of botany at the University of Altdorf, finished the work.  Ref. Nissen (BBI) 1997. Pritzel 9499. A Cleveland Herbal 429. Hunt, 539 We join : Id. - Plantae rariores quas maximam partem ipse in horto domestico coluit secundum notas suas examinavit et breviter explicavit nec non depingendas aerique incidendas [Decas I]. Nürnberg, Christian de Launoy, 1763. Folio: [4]-41 (= 14) pp. (lacking pp. 7-8 and pls V & X; some spotting and waterstaining, lower outer corners of pl. and p. I underlaid touching the ill. and with loss of text). Cont. half sheep, marbled paper on covers (corners sl. rubbed), flat spine (shaved) .Very rare botanical work showing exceptional and curious plants by the German botanist and physician Chr. J. Trew (1695-1769). Illustrated with 8 coloured engravings by Chr. Keller: "Echium orientale", "Ludwigia alternifolia", "Arachidna", "Corchorus olitorius", "Verbesina conyzoides", "Vella annua", "Plumbago Zeylanica", "Dodonaea trifoliata". Ref. Nissen (BBI) 1996 (Decas I). - Pritzel 9496. - COPAC. - Cp. Bn-Opale plus. Prov. E.F. Nolte (bookpl.). (2 vol.)