Lot 36. FORSTER, Johann Reinhold.

Forster’s important work on the plants of Australasia and Polynesia. Cook’s second voyage took the Forsters around the Cape of Good Hope to the South Pacific. This book is the first botanical work to be published from this voyage and ‘it is important to the history and science of botany, as it contains a large number of new generic and specific names relating to plants of Australasia and Polynesia. Indeed, it has been said to be the foundation of our knowledge of New Zealand, Antarctic, and Polynesian vegetation’ (Hill). Anders Sparrman described the plants, Georg Forster drew them, and J.R. Forster supervised the whole.

First edition. 4to, x, [ii], viii, 150, [ii] pp., 78 engraved plates (numbered 1-75 and 38a, 38b, and 51a), modern half-calf, red morocco label, an excellent copy.

[Beddie, 1385; Hill (2004), 627; Holmes, 17a; Hocken, 14-15 (erroneously calling for only 75 plates); Hunt, 649; Nissen BBI, 644 (75 plates); Pritzel, 2981 (75 plates); Sabin, 25134 (75 plates); Stafleu TL2, 1826.]