Enlarged Plantin issue of the first edition of an important Latin herbal with more than 300 excellent woodcut illustrations showing the plants in remarkable detail, usually including the roots. Its classification system, based on characteristics of the leaves, was better than any used previously. Thomas Purfoot first issued this edition at London in 1571 (title-page 1570), but Plantin bought a large part of the press run and reissued the book with extensive and important additions. He replaced the preliminaries, but also added a 15-page appendix (pp. 456-471) with 35 new woodcuts, the 15-page "Formulae aliquot" and 36 pages of indices. Two additional leaves ([3], [1 blank] pp.) printed with the indices (5*3-4) formed an additional appendix with 10 additional woodcuts, but have been removed from the present copy.
The main text is divided into two parts. The title on the title-page applies to the first part, while the second part devoted to trees has its own drop-title: "Fruticum, subfruticum, cremiorum & arborum adversaria, concisaeque".
Plantin also acquired the original woodblocks and used them for his own botanical publications. They include the first illustration of the tobacco plant, Nicotina tabacum, including the head of a person smoking tobacco in a horn-shaped pipe.
Lacking the 2-leaf appendix, title-page nearly detached and with a tear slightly affecting the woodcut frame, a tear running 1 cm into the text on I6, a corner torn off 2P3, not approaching the text, some tears in the gutter margin of the index (1 bifolium separated at the fold) and an occasional sheet slightly browned or foxed, but otherwise in good condition. The parchment of the binding is somewhat soiled, with a hole in the spine and a few tears, and has nearly come loose from the bookblock. Plantin's expanded issue of a seminal botanical work, which set a high standard with both its scholarly text and its more than 300 excellent woodcuts. Arents 13 note; Arnold Arboretum, p. 437; Henry 289 (1571 London issue, but noting the Plantin issue on pp. 28-31); Hunt 127; Nissen, BBI 1218; Voet, Plantin press 1578 II (version B), III & IV.