Mirobalanus, Pl. 849 — Encyclopédie Méthodique

The tropical fruit tree Mirobalanus, prized in traditional medicine and the tanning trade, depicted with the meticulous botanical detail that defines this encyclopaedic series.

After J. E. de Sève; engraved by Robert Bénard. Botanique, Plate 849, from the Encyclopédie Méthodique. Published in Paris, c. 1793.

The Encyclopédie Méthodique expanded upon Diderot and d'Alembert's original Encyclopédie, reorganising knowledge into subject-specific dictionaries with thousands of newly commissioned plates. Its Botanique section, overseen by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, remains a landmark of Enlightenment-era plant taxonomy and scientific illustration.

Copperplate engraving on laid paper, approximately 29.7 × 21.6 cm. Excellent.