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Books > Botany > Sweert E. Florilegium. Francofurti, Anthonium Kempner, 1612.
*** The first edition of Sweert's famous "Florilegium" ***
SWEERT Emmanuel. (1552-1612). Florilegium, tractans de variis florib. et aliis Indicis plantis ad vivum delineatum in duabus partib. et quatuor linguis concinnatum. Francofurti, Anthonium Kempner, 1612. 2 parts in one volume, folio (400 x 265mm.), part one with engraved title, letterpress title for part 2, engraved portrait of the author, 110 engraved plates, contemporary vellum.
Originally intended as catalogues for the sale of plants and bulbs at the famous, annual Frankfurt fair, Sweert's Florilegium proved immensely popular, and was reprinted in Frankfurt in 1614 and then in Amsterdam in 1620, 1631, 1647, and 1655. Sweert's fame as a floriculturist was widespread: he was at one time the prefect of the gardens of Emperor Rudolf II and mention of him occurs in the correspondence of naturalists, botanists, and floriculturists of the period. A white iris was even named for him (the Iris sweertii). The work is divided into two parts: the first deals with bulbous species, and the second with species having "fibrous" roots (hellebores, canna, lily of the valley, chrysthanthemums, and many others) and a number of "beautiful" and "fragrant" trees such as myrtle, arbor vitae, and juniper.
Hunt (Botanical Books), 196; Nissen (BBI) 1920; Pritzel 9073
Item number: 21632
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