This book by Colonna, a member of the Lynx and a major contributor to the Hernandez natural history of Mexico, is the first book containing copperplate engravings of plants. 26 copperplate engravings show much more detail than was possible with woodcuts, as is evident by comparing Colonna’s woodcut borders with the engravings of the plants themselves. Colonna took great care to ensure the accuracy of illustrations, hoping that more detailed visual representations might offer a key to discerning the underlying order of nature. Toward this end, he attempted to standardize descriptive and morphological terms, suggesting, for example, the name “petal.” The plant phu (p. 114), believed to be a cure for epilepsy, motivated Colonna’s botanical work.