Shanghai, Commercial Press, 1933-1937. Folio (44.7 x 31.1 cm). Each fascicle with 50 pp. of text and 50 fine plates (i.e., 150 pp. and 150 plates in total). All in original, uniform printed wrappers with European and Chinese lettering.

Hsen-Hsu Hu (1894-1968), an influential scientist but little known outside his country, was the founder of modern plant taxonomy in China. Icones plantarum Sinicarum is his rarest work, published over a period of eleven years (1927-1937). It is a fine selection of mostly trees and shrubs from China, with fine, large illustrations. We found no other copies on the internet, nor any auction record. Paper on spines partly abraded, two wrappers with some chipping and one plate frayed and torn at the lower outer margin. Otherwise very nice, clean copies. Nissen BBI, 947; Stafleu & Cowan 3102.