Aubriet, Claude ; Vermeulen, C.

TOURNEFORT, Joseph Pitton de Élémens de botanique, ou Méthode pour connoître les plantes. Paris Imprimerie royale 1694 3 vol., 8vo: front.-[20]-562-[20] pp., front.-235 pl., front.-235/451 pl. (some browning and spotting, waterstaining near the end of vol. III; some pl. wrongly bound or upside down). Contemp. calf, gilt orn. spines with raised bands, red leather title labels (somewhat rubbed, some corners repaired, joints repaired and starting to split, stain and sm. lack on an endpaper). Good copy. First edition of this work of great importance in the development of the classification of plants according to their morphology, by the French botanist and physician J.P. de Tournefort (1656-1708). His system of plant classification (distinction between genius and species) represented a major advance in his time and was a great success. Ill. with 3 front. by Vermeulen, engr. armorial vign. on title, armorial headpiece, decor. initial and 451 (+ 2 pl. present twice: 235 and 378) full-page engr. plates depicting fruits, flowers, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms, corals, algae, etc., after the drawings by Claude Aubriet (1665-1742), one of the most brilliant flower painters of his time. ref. Pritzel 9423. - Nissen (BBI) 1976. - Hunt 392. - Plesch 438 (ed. 1797). Prov. Comte Goblet d'Alviella (armorial bookpl.).