BENTHAM, GEORGE, AND HENRY FLETCHER HANCE 

FLORA HONGKONGENSIS: A DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF THE ISLAND OF HONG KONG... LONDON: LOVELL REEVE, 1861. [BOUND WITH:] FLORA HONGKONGENSIS...A COMPENDIOUS SUPPLEMENT TO MR. BENTHAM'S DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANTS OF THE ISLAND OF HONG KONG...EXTRACTED FROM THE LINNAEN SOCIETY'S JOURNAL. LONDON: LINNAEN SOCIETY, 1872

2 volumes in one, 8vo (8 x 5 1/8 in.; 203 x 130 mm). Folding map. Contemporary half gr𒆙een morocco over green cloth covered 𝄹boards, spine with raised bands in five compartments, gilt lettered, edges marbled, marbled endpapers.

The first comprehensive flora on any part of China and Hong Kong

Bentham donated his impressive herbarium to the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1854, and shortly thereafter, with the sanction of the British Government, began preparing a series of flora of the indigenous plants of British colonies and possessions, beginning 𝔍with the present work.

"Bentham had made use of all the botanical materials then known from Hong Kong. In the determination of the plants he was aided by several distinguished botanists: Dr. J. Lindley, Sir W. J. Hooker, Dr. J. D. Hooker, Colonel Munro, Prof. Oliver. Dr. Boott and others...This remarkable book exhibits on every page the vast botanical know🌊ledge of the author ♔and serves as a model for accurate characteristic and at the same time popular descriptions of plants" (Bretschneider). In his work, Bentham identifies 1056 species of flowering plants, of which approximately 1000 were native.

Rare, with our records noting only one other copy selling at auction in the last forty years

REFERENCE:

Bretschneider, History of European Botanical Discoveries in Asia 401-403; Plesch 48; Pritzel 625