BURMAN, J.

Thesaurus Zeylanicus exhibens Plantas in Insula Zeylana nascentes; Inter quas plurimae novae species, & genera inveniuntur. Omnia Iconibus illustrata, ac descripta.

Eur 4,800 / USD 5,200
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Amstelaedami, apud Janssonio-Waesbergios, & Salomonem Schouten, 1737. 4to (265 x 220 mm). pp. (16),235, (1), (14), (2), 33, (1), with an engraved portrait of Burmann, by J.M. Quinkhard, engraved by J. Houbraken, and an engraved vignette and 111 fine engraved plates. Contemporary vellum, spine with 6 raised bands (old repair to corners).

first edition of the first illustrated flora of Ceylon

A fine and interesting association copy of the first edition of the first illustrated flora of Ceylon. "Indeed, Linnaeus, as a guest at the Burman house, had a hand in the perfecting of the 'Thesaurus Zeylanicus' itself" (Hunt 501). The final part is subtitled 'Catalogi duo plantarum Africanorum' and is basically a list of plants collected by Paul Hermann, who had visited the Cape on his way to Ceylon. 'Burman was, especially in his earlier years, a hard worker, and he published on a grand scale. In 1737 he published his 'Thesaurus Zeylanicus', based on collections of plants made in Ceylon by Paulus Hermann and Jan Hartog' (Stafleu, 'Linnaeus and the Linnaeans' p.165).

Johannes Burman (1707-1779), was a Dutch physician and botanist at Amsterdam, friend and correspondent of Linnaeus, and professor of botany.

Provenance: engraved bookplate of Nils Rosén 'Linneana tillhörande'. Nils Rosén (1706-1773) was one of the foremost physicians of his time and closely connected with Linnaeus. Although relations between Linnaeus and Rosén have been described as being occasionally strained. Also stamp of S. Garside on free endpaper.

Hunt 501; Nissen BBI, 303; Stafleu & Cowan 928.