London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, [1884-]1885. Four papers in one. 4to (31.8 x 24.8 cm). 853 [xi, 75; 135; 299; 333]; 65 [0; I-XIII; XIV-LIII; LIV-LXV] fine, lithographed plates. Original dark green blind-stamped and pebbled cloth. Spine with gilt title. Brown endpapers.

The complete section on island floras and phytogeography, based on macroscopic plants collected during the grandest and most influential circumglobal scientific cruise, and the largest natural history endeavour of the 19th century, published in over 50 volumes dealing with numerous kinds of - mostly marine - life forms. This is the complete botany Volume I, containing the first four (of five) botanical contributions (a work by a different author on marine, microscopic diatoms was published separately as Volume II). All written by the British botanist William Botting Hemsley (1843-1924), who also wrote the botany part of another important series, Biologica Centrali-Americana. Many species were described and illustrated here for the first time. Some light shelf-wear, endpapers cracked at inner joints due to the unusually heavy book block; otherwise impeccable. Rare, especially in this very good, clean and unmarked state. We have never seen a better copy. Nissen BBI, 2381; Nissen ZBI, 4754; Stafleu and Cowan, 2628.