"The Father of English Natural History" (Horblit)

Ray, J. Historia plantarum. 3 Bde. London, M. Clark für H. Faithorne (1-2) u. S. Smith & B. Walford, 1686-1704. Fol. (38:24 cm). Mit 1 Textkupfer. 13 Bll., 983 (recte 987) S.; 4 Bll., S. 985-1944, 18 Bll. u. 1 Bl. zw. S. 1350/51; 1 Bl., IX, 666 (recte 664), 135, 255 (recte 143) S., 4 Bll. Neuerer Hldr. im Stil d. Zt. mit Rvg. u. marmor. Deckelbezügen.

Horblit 87; Dibner 24; DSB XI, 315; Stafleu-C. 8701; Henrey 313; Wellcome IV, 479; Krivatsy 9409 u. Pritzel 7436 (beide nur 2 Bde.); Norman 1789. - Erste Ausgabe, Bd. 1 im zweiten Druck mit verändertem Druckvermerk u. dem Blatt Imprimatur zu Beginn. Rays monumentales Hauptwerk. - Schwach gebräunt, vereinzelt stockfleckig, Ränder oben gering angestaubt, stellenw. mit hs. Nummern in Bleistift im weißen Rand, mod. Exlibris.

3 volumes. First edition, vol. 1 in second and more usual state with cancel title and an imprimatur leaf. His magnus opus, uniting his advanced contributions to both taxonomic and physiological botany. "Nearly 18.000 plants are described under a new system he evolved. English and exotic plants are treated, as well as those of the Americas and East Indies" (Dibner). "'Historia plantarum' was a monument to Ray's learning, and prepared the way for Linnaeus, but it enjoyed only small success, being handicapped by its massive size, its lack of illustrations, and the political upheavals occuring at the time of its publications" (Norman). - Faint browning, some duststaining to upper margins, occasional foxing, here and there pencil numbers to margins, mod. bookplate. Recent half-calf bound to style, spine gilt, marbled boards.