SWEERT Emmanuel. Florilegium, tractans de variis florib. et aliis Indicis plantis ad vivum delineatum in duabus partib. et quatuor linguis concinnatum. Amsterdam, Jansson, 1647-1654. 2 parts in one folio volume, fifth edition of this famous work, originally published in 1612. Illustrated with an engraved title featuring portraits of Charles de l'Escluse and Rembert Dodoens, a portrait of the author and 110 copper-engraved hors-texte plates, each with several species represented, for a total of 560 different plants, partly taken from the works of Vallet and De Bry. It is divided into two parts, the first devoted to bulbous flowers with 67 numbered plates, the second to "hairy-rooted" flowers with 43 numbered plates. Text of both parts in French, Latin, German and Dutch bound at the beginning of the volume, dedicated title page for the second part. This work played a very important role in the famous "tulipomania" in the United Provinces in the early 17th century. Emmanuel Sweerts, responsible for the gardens of Emperor Rudolf II of Austria, was first and foremost a direct player in the tulip market, which he sold, surrounded by curios, at the Frankfurt and Amsterdam fairs. Encouraged by the Emperor, he devoted himself to publishing the Florilegium, a catalog in Latin, French, Dutch and German of the flowers to be acquired at these two fairs. This lavish catalog earned him such a reputation that a variety of white iris, the Iris Sweertii, now bears his name. Bound in full contemporary marbled calf with 6-ribbed spine. (worn binding with leather missing from boards and spine, spine ends split, some foxing mainly on first few leaves, margins of frontispiece and last plate slightly faded, paper slightly browned, minor foxing on some plates). Expert : Monsieur Nicolas Asvisio.