Botanical Art Gallery

Garcinia pedunculata, Roxb

Watercolour on paper, no date (late 18th, early 19th century). Hand painted copy of an illustration commissioned by William Roxburgh (1751-1815). In 'Flora Indica', Roxburgh reports that this species is "a native of Rungpoor, where the tree is indigeneous". He adds that "flowering time [is from] January till March" and also how "the fleshy part of the fruit which covers the seeds and their proper juicy envelope, or aril, is in large quantity, of a firm texture and of a very sharp, pleasant, acid taste. It is used by the natives in their curries, and for acidulating water"

© RBG KEW

Diospyros melanoxylon, Willd. (Ebony)

Watercolour on paper. Hand painted copy of an illustration commissioned by William Roxburgh (1751-1820). In 'Flora Indica', Roxburgh notes that the bark of this tree, when powdered and mixed with pepper, is used by native doctors for the treatment of dysentry. The drawing is inscribed 'Received from Rodney 9th June 1791', a record of the East India Company ship that delivered the drawings to London

© RBG KEW

Garcinia mangostana, Willd

Watercolour on paper, no date (late 18th early 19th century). Hand painted copy of an illustration commissioned by William Roxburgh. In 'Flora Indica', Roxburgh reports that this species is "a native of the Malay Peninsula, and of the Islands to the eastward of the Bay of Bengal, where they often grow to be trees of a large size... it is in flower and fruit a great part of the year". Later he adds: "From the earliest accounts we have of this charming tree and its delicious fruit; we learn that all the innumerable attempts hitherto made to familiarize it to other countries, besides those in which it is placed by nature, have uniformly proved unsuccessful. For these thirty-five years past I have laboured in vain to make it grow and be fruitful on the continent of India. The plant has uniformly become sickly when removed to the north or west of the Bay of Bengal, and rarely rises beyond the height of two or three feet before it perishes."

© RBG KEW