Blume, Carl Ludwig.

First edition, 4 volumes bound in three, folio (429 x 265mm.), 3 lithographed portraits, 210 lithographed plates, of which 159 are hand-coloured, and 12 are views, contemporary red half morocco and marbled boards, [Great Flower Books, p.50; Nissen BBI 178; Stafleu TL2 566], some marginal foxing to text and uncoloured plates as usual, binding slightly rubbed

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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A magnificent work on the flora of the East Indies, based primarily on the author's botanising in Java. The work comprises plants previously undescribed in the floras of Rheede tot Draakestein, Rumpf, Roxburgh, and Wallich, as well as Blume's own Flora Javae. The title refers to George Eberhard Rumpf (1627-1702). Blume saw himself as continuing Rumpf's pioneering work and indeed was acknowledged as his spiritual disciple with the cognomen "Rumphius". The excellent plates are by Arckenhausen, Berghaus, Bick, Blume, Decaisne, Gordon, Latour, Lauters, and Payen, and were lithographed by A. Henrey and Cohen (Bonn), P. Lauters and G. Severeyns.

Blume (1796-1862) was a German-born Dutch botanist who travelled and worked in Java, and was director first of the Buitenzorg Botanic Garden and later of the Leiden Rijksherbarium.