The Anatomy of Plants, with an Idea of a Philosophical History of Plants, and Several Other Lectures

[London]: W. Rawlins, for the Author, 1682 . First edition. Leather. Good Only. 12.5" by 8.5". None. The very scarce first collected edition of Nehemiah Grew's important work on plant anatomy, lacking all eighty-three engraved plates. The very scarce first collected edition of Grew's work. Grew, an English plant anatomist and physiologist, is known as the 'Father of Plant Anatomy', and is remembered as being the first scientist to observe the sexual nature of plants, and ascribe the male functions to the stamens.This first edition thus largely collects together previous publications from Grew, though some original material is also included. Collected together in this work are: 'An Idea of a Philosophical History of Plants'; 'The Anatomy of Plants, Begun'; 'The Anatomy of Roots'; 'The Anatomy of Trunks'; 'The Anatomy of Leaves, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds', and 'Several Lectures Read Before the Royal Society', with an individual title page for each section.ESTC Citation No. R10887Retaining the initial imprimatur leaf. Collated, lacking all eighty-three plates. Text leaf signatures run: [A4], a4, B-2I4, 2K2, 2L-2X4, 2Y-3C2. Text leaves are collated, complete.Blind stamps to tail of title page, and final leaf.With the bookplate of Thomas Glazebrook Rylands to the front pastedown, and the bookplate of the University of Liverpool to the rear pastedown. In a full tree calf binding. Front board detached, rear joint starting with board slightly tender. Lacking the majority of the back strip. Loss of leather to centre of front board. Bookplates to front and rear pastedown. Internally, firmly bound. Blind stamp to tail of title page and final leaf. Pages significantly age toned due to paper type, with scattered spotting throughout, and the odd instance of foxing. Good Only