Paris, J. B. Baillière, 1877-1878. Two volumes in two. 4to (27.0 x 17.2 cm). Two titles and half-titles, 1690 pp. (xvi, 765 ; iii-vi, 905]; large, double-folded coloured map of the earth. Uniform pebbled half morocco over marbled boards. Spines with five raised bands; compartments with gilt floral vignettes and gilt title. Marbled endpapers. Speckled edges. Original printed wrappers bound in.

Written by the German botanist and plant geographer August Heinrich Rudolph Grisebach (1814-1879). First published in German as Die Vegetation der Erde (1872), and here updated and expanded by the Russian naturalist Pyotr Alexandrovich Chikhachyov (also spelled Chikhachev, Tchihatchev, or, as here, De Tchihatchef) (1808-1890). The map shows the various phytogeographical regions and is in pristine condition. Provenance: small botanical (floral) bookplate of J. and A. Raynal mounted in the lower margin of the first title and second half-title. Aline Marine Raynal-Roques (1937-2022) was a French botanist and professor at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, specialized in tropical floras, especially of Africa. Her husband, and colleague Jean Reynal (1933-1979) was a deputy director at the same institution. He died in a car accident in Niger. Light age-wear, otherwise very good. Very uncommon, especially in such attractive contemporary bindings. Stafleu and Cowan, 2185.