1788 Yew Tree, dendrology, J. J. Plenck, Icones plantarum, 45cm, folio

Yew Tree

Taxus baccata is a species of evergreen tree in the family Taxaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe (including Britain and Ireland), northwest Africa, northern Iran, and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known as common yew, English yew, or European yew.

Dimensions

Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)

Width: 12.41 in (31.5 cm)

Joseph Jacob Plenck (Plencke in some works) (1735-1807) was an Austrian physician and the founder of modern dermatology. He was born the son of a Viennese bookbinder and studied medicine; he served in the Seven Years' War, and despite his unfinished education, he trained as a regimental doctor.In 1770, he was appointed by Empress Maria Theresa professor of surgery and obstetrics at the University of Trnava; from there he went on to Budapest and in 1785, was finally appointed professor of chemistry and botany at the Military-Medical Academy in Vienna (Josephinum). From 1788, he published seven volumes of his 'Icones plantarum medicinalium'. In his work, which contains a total of 758 coloured copper engravings, he described the medical use of all of the then known herbal plants, according to Linnaeus' new botanical classification system, and wrote all the text in German and Latin. Plates by Plenck hardly ever are offered for sale in decent condition and are rare!