[Vellozo, José Mariano da Conceição.

Folio (366 x 245mm.), various watermarks, some Dutch (Honig, Blauw), some probably Portuguese, the work comprising; Methode de Linné, 24 leaves in black and brown ink with many small diagrams; [Cana], 15 watercolours of Cannas, captioned but without separate text; Plantas Piperitas e Juliferas, 9 leaves of text with 6 watercolours, each with a wash duplicate, plus a variant coloured version of the final plate; [Dorstenia], 4 leaves of text with 3 watercolours, each with a wash duplicate; [Cassia], 5 leaves of text with 6 watercolours (captioned in the same style as the Cannas), together with another copy of this text, but on four leaves and with 2 watercolours, in all 33 fine watercolours and 9 duplicates, nineteenth-century turquoise calf, spine lettered "Mappa botanico e Descripção e Classificaçãi de Algumas Plantas do Brazil" with A.A.C.M. at foot

Arpad Plesch, bookplate, sale, Sotheby's 16 March 1976, lot 789; Strathallan, armorial bookplate

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Vellozo or Veloso (1742-1811) was the most important Brazilian botanist of his time and he prepared an enormous corpus of drawings and manuscripts. Some of these were published after his death in the Florae fluminensis, 11 vol., 1825-35, an unlucky work of which the text never received full publication. As far as is known all the manuscript material for the Florae fluminensis (with the exception of the present portion) is at the Bibliotheca National, Rio de Janiero. This collection includes a manuscript very similar to the present example (ours is perhaps a first draft; or perhaps several copies were prepared). Vellozo assembled a considerable team for his work and it is possible that the present manuscript can be attributed directly to José Correia Rangle de Bulhoas one of this assistants. The Bibliotheca National manuscripts were acquired from the famous nineteenth-century collector Castello Melhor; ours probably came from the same source, which would explain the initials on the spine.