Book Id: 42936 The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy. Nehemiah Grew.
The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy.
The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy.
The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy.
The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy.

The anatomy of vegetables begun. HFN copy.

Publisher Information: London: Spencer Hickman, 1672.

Grew, Nehemiah (1641-1712). The anatomy of vegetables begun, with a general account of vegetation founded thereon. 8vo. [32], 186, [22]pp. 3 folding engraved plates. London: Spencer Hickman, 1672. 163 x 96 mm. Contemporary sheep, red leather spine label, rebacked, corner repaired. Small area of edgewear on back cover, light toning, but a very good and unusually tall copy. Bookplates of the High Legh Library, Edward Neville da Costa Andrade (1887-1971) and Haskell F. Norman.

First Edition. Along with Malpighi, Grew is considered the founder of plant anatomy; his pioneering investigations into how organs and tissues are formed during plant growth marked the beginning of efforts to link plant structure and development. As a physician, Grew was originally interested in the structures of animal life, but turned to plant anatomy because, unlike animal anatomy, it had not yet been investigated. Anatomy of Vegetables, his first book, contained accurate observations of the structures of wood, bark and roots, and introduced the term “parenchyma.” Grew also described fruits, seeds and flowers, distinguishing in the last the calyx, stamen and pistils, and he was the first to observe that plants had two sexes. The title-page gives 1672 as the date of publication, but the printing was completed by 7 December 1671, when four copies were delivered to the Royal Society for presentation.

This copy was once owned by British physicist E. N. da C. Andrade, Quain Professor of Physics at University College, London, who collaborated with Ernest Rutherford on experiments to determine the wavelengths of gamma rays from radium. During his lifetime Andrade amassed an important collection of British 17th-century science texts. Dibner 21. Henrey 163; pp. 135-138. LeFanu, pp. 77-78. Morton, pp. 178-195. Norman 944. Pritzel 3554. Wing G-1946.

Book Id: 42936

Price: $6,000.00

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