Hooker, Joseph Dalton

Illustrations of Himalayan Plants, chiefly selected from drawings made for the late J. F. Cathcart Esq. of the Bengal Civil Service.  London: Lovell Reeve, 1855

Folio (20 1/8 x 14 3/4 in.; 511 x 375 mm).  Printed title, lithographed title within hand-colored floral border, 24 hand-colored lithographed plates by and after W. H. Fitch from original drawings by native artists and the author, list of subscribers; occasional browning or spotting, generally not affecting plates, horizontal creases on printed title and endpapers.  Original lithographed boards with modern brown morocco gilt spine; boards rubbed, stained.

Great Flower Books p. 60; Nissen BBI 910; Stafleu TL2 2973

Condition as described in catalogue entry.
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First edition.  Hooker's second book on Himalayan plants includes two plates of orchids: Cyrtosia (Erythrorchis) Lindleyana and Vanda Cathcarti.  Of the first, Hooker writes, "The subject of the present plate is certainly the most remarkable Orchid in the Himalaya, if not in all India, and belongs to a small genus, native of the Eastern Himalaya, the Khasia mountains, and the Malayan Islands."