Botany.- Grew (Nehemiah) The Anatomy of Plants, first collected edition, large paper copy on thicker paper with Strasbourg lily watermark, imprimatur leaf signed by Christopher Wren, 83 engraved plates, 5 double-page (4 detached from stubs), very occasional light soiling to a few leaves but an exceptionally clean copy, tiny paper flaw hole to foot of Oo2 just touching one letter, contemporary ink inscriptions to front free endpaper "The gift of Dr John ?Contee" and "Josias Calmady ex dono Edward Griffyn March 1699" with other Calmady book-labels/bookplates, endpapers stained, contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments with morocco label, rubbed, spine ends a little worn and chipped, abrasions to boards, [Henrey 162; Hunt 362; Nissen BBI 758; Wing G1945], folio, by W.Rawlins, for the Author, 1682.

⁂ The birth of the microscopic anatomy of plants. Grew, and his contemporary Malpighi in Italy, were the founders of the science of plant anatomy. Grew was the first to observe the sexual nature of plants and ascribe the male functions to the stamens. The work was published in two formats, with ordinary copies on foolscap and the large paper copies on thicker paper.