The first botanical book to use colour-printed mezzotint successfully (Hunt). It also contains the very first botanical illustrations by the great Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-70), although they are unsigned. His work for Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741) formed his apprenticeship and for it he was paid a pittance. He contributed several hundred drawings and afterwards the two men fell out. It is another reason possibly for the lack on any reference to Ehret in the ‘Phytanhoza Iconographia’. Weinmann was an apothecary from Regensburg. This large project was financed by Bartholomäus Seuter who was one of the engravers too. Further plates were engraved by Johann Jakob Haid and Johann Ridinger. The text was written by Johann Georg Nicolaus Dieterichs (1681-1737), then his son Ludwig Michael (1716-47) and completed after Weinmann’s death by Ambrosius Karl Bieler (1693-1747). The mezzotint process allowed delicate lines and fine detail to be depicted. With the addition of hand colour, it enabled a wonderful quality of finish. Dunthorne (1938) 327; ‘Great Flower Books’ (1956) p. 80; cf Hunt (1958) 494; Nissen BBI (1966) 2126.