DEFIVES (L.). Tropical plants. Album of 131 original graphite drawings, preceded by a watercolor title signed and dated 1875. Infolio (27 x 43 cm) of (1)f. title, (46) blank ff., half-bound. Important collection of drawings, apparently unpublished, devoted to the tropical plants of Africa (Senegal, Madagascar), South America (Peru, Paraguay) and Indonesia (Java). The drawings, generally in in-8 (or large in-8) format; sometimes oblong, are mounted on the album leaves at a rate of one or two per page, rarely more. A handwritten caption in ink indicates the French name, sometimes accompanied by the Latin name or place of origin of the plant depicted. The whole work was executed with great care, the author having mastered the technique of drawing perfectly. Sometimes, plants are depicted in their natural environment (forests, plains, valleys); on other drawings, botanical details (flower, fruit seen in cross-section) accompany the main subject. This rich iconography includes: Cassava, Yam, Gutta-percha, Ipecacuanha, Coconut palm, Cape Verde Baobab, Date palm, Wild banana and Royal banana, Cotton, Olive, Licorice lily, Corn, Rice, Camphor laurel, Tree orchids, Ginger, Ebony, Pepper, Pineapple, Giant candle, Rubber tree (Hévéa), Grenadier, Tea, Giant pine, Leaves and nuts of the butter tree, African sycamore, Muscadier, Aloe, Traveler tree (Ravenal), Cocoa, Bamboo, Tobacco, Dwarf palm, Balisier, Vanilla, Sugar cane, Coffee, Mango, Sorgh, etc. The author of this collection is not mentioned in any standard bibliography, library catalog or bibliographic dictionary. However, the Defives family appears to have originated in northern France, probably in connection with the former commune of Fives, united with Lille in 1858 (cf. Larousse XIXe, VIII, p.414). A few pages gnawed in the upper right-hand corner, without affecting the drawings.