Histoire particulière des plantes Orchidées recueillies sur les trois îles Australes d'Afrique, de France, de Bourbon et de Madagascar.
Eur 5,500 / USD 6,000
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Paris, A. Bertrand/ Treuttel & Wurtz, 1822. Royal-8vo (265 x 175mm). pp. viii, 1-32, with 2 folded tables and 110 engraved plates. Later dark green morocco, covers with gilt border, spine in 6 compartments with gilt lettering, top edges gilt, inside dentelles.
First illustrated monograph on orchids, likewise the first work on African orchids
First illustrated monograph on orchids, likewise the first work on African orchids. It took almost 8o years before the next major work on African orchids, by Harry Bolus, appeared. Aubert Du Petit-Thouars (1758-1831) was a well-known French botanist and traveller. 'Nos connaissance sur la flore de Madagascar et des Mascareignes devaient se développer grâce à l'oeuvre de L. Aubert Du Petit-Thouars, qui séjournera longuement dans ces îles' (Davy de Virville p. 363).
The text ends with page 32 and no more was published. Both Nissen and Pritzel only call for 108 plates. The fine plates are drawn and engraved by the author. "The tableaux and the plates contain the new alternative names given by Thouars to the orchids treated by him. His alternative specific epithets are used in binominals and are hence admissible" (Stafleu & Cowan). A fine copy of one of the rarest works on orchids.
Nissen BBI, 564; Pritzel 2535; Stafleu & Cowan 1586.