Folio (610 x 445 mm). Chromolithographed frontispiece and 42 plates. (Some very light spotting.) Original morocco-backed gilt-lettered cloth, spine gilt (some light sunning to extremities, a few spots of rubbing at spine ends and fore-corners, small scuff with loss to upper cover).

FIRST EDITION OF ONE OF THE FINEST CHROMOLITHOGRAPHED BOTANICAL MONOGRAPHS. Maximilian of Austria, who was later to become Emperor of Mexico, visited Brazil in 1859-60, together with the botanist Heinrich Wawra and a number of other scientists. The Aroids collected during the expedition were described by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, who worked, according to Stafleu, "only with the living plants brought back by the expedition and grown in Schonbrunn". Peyritsch was the final editor of the work. Borba de Moraes, p.554; Nissen BBI 1523; Stafleu TL2 7808.