The First Edition of Linnaeus's Species Plantarum 1753 is the accepted starting point for botanical nomenclature and is an important reference work for systematic botanists as well as a seminal work in the history of biology. Because original copies are rare and costly, the Ray Society published a facsimile edition, in two volumes, in 1957 and 1959. The Ray Society has decided to reprint its facsimile edition to allow the work to continue to be readily available.

The value of the original Ray Society facsimile was enhanced by the addition to the first volume of a definitive essay by W. T. Stearn, giving an extensive historical and bibliographic introduction to the work and an appendix in the second volume containing an explanation of Linnaeus's abbreviations by J. L. Heller, together with notes by W. T. Stearn on the illustrations, supplementary works together with an index to species and genera.

This reprinted edition has an additional supplementary essay by the Linnaean scholar C. E. Jarvis to update and add to the original essay and the appendix by incorporating new published data, both printed and electronic and to take into account changes in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.

The volumes are available separately at a retail price of £75 each (plus £9 post and packing) Concessionary price for members is £19 per volume (plus £9 post and packing), or £40 (plus £9 post and packing) for members of other societies.