Paris, Maison; Leipzig, T. O. Weigel, 1846. Four parts in one. Tall 8vo (25.7 x 16.0 cm). 375 pp.; 22 engraved plates of which several partly hand-coloured [1: 47 pp.; five plates (four larger, folded; one partly hand-coloured); 2: 39 pp.; two large, folding, partly hand-coloured plates); 3: half-title, title page, 254 pp.; 13 large, folded plates (numbered 1-12, 1bis) of which one partly coloured; 4: 37 pp.; two large, folded plates]. Contemporary dark green half cloth over marbled boards. Spine with gilt floral ornaments and title. Marbled endpapers.

A very rare publication by the French botanist Claude Thomas Alexis Jordan (1814-1897). "Born into a wealthy family, he chose a career path in natural history rather than becoming a businessman like his father. From 1836 to 1877 he traveled widely throughout France, collecting many botanical specimens on trips to the Massif Central, the Alps, the Pyrenees as well as on excursions to locations near Lyon. As a member of the Linnaean Society of Lyon, he came under the influence of several local naturalists, including Marc Antoine Timeroy, an amateur botanist who would have a profound impact upon his career. At Jordan's extensive botanical garden in Lyon, with his assistant Joseph Victor Viviand-Morel, he cultivated many thousands of different varieties of plants. Known for his micro-morphological analysis of plants - as a taxonomist he proposed a narrow conceptualization for the determination of species. Because of this, he was widely criticized for his tendency to differentiate species too finely" (Wikipedia). He described nearly 1700 new plants, many of which are found in this work. In total, seven "fragments" were published, of which these are the first four. All published by Maison and Weigel. The last three, which are not included, were published in Paris by J. B. Baillière, with only another seven plates. Stafleu and Cowan err in listing Baillière as publisher of part 4. All present parts have title pages but in three of the parts they are included in the page numbering. On the verso of the half-title of the third and largest part, Jordan wrote a signed dedication to "Monsieur Huguenin"; most probably the French botanist Auguste Huguenin (1780-1860), writer of the Enumeratio plantarum exsiccatarum quae ex collectione A. Huguenin (à Chambéry, Savoie): promutua commutatione offeruntur (1851). Fore edge uncut. A very good copy. Stafleu and Cowan, 3409.