Biology Collection

705. Palmyra Palms in Flood-time
Illustration of Borassus flabellifer, commonly known as Palmyra palm by Marianne North from Marianne North Collection, Kew, 1870

Livistona chinensis, ca 18th century
Watercolour of Livistona chinensis, commonly known as Chinese fan or fountain palm, by unknown Asian artist, Company Art, Kew Collection, 18th century

Fallopia japonica - Japanese Knotweed
Tab.6503. - Fallopia japonica as Polygonum cuspidatum the original illustration is by Anne Barnard, watercolour on paper, 1880; The plate, 6503, was published in Curtiss Botanical Magazine

Spider Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum), woodblock print and manuscript on paper, 1828
Wood block print and manuscript on paper, Japan, 1828. The wood block prints meassure approximately 25 cm in height. The wood block print is from Honzo Zufu or Illustrated manual of medicinal plants

Cinera cum flore, 1613
Illustration of Cinera cum flore, Cynara species, from Hortus Eystettensis, by Basilius Besler, 1613, volume 2

Seedlings of Cinchona succirubra, India, 1861
Seedlings of Cinchona succirubra, photographed on arrival in Ootacamund, southern India, 9 April 1861. Collected by Richard Spruce in Ecuador, the plants were received by WIlliam McIvor

Fructus artischochi, 1613
Illustration of Fructus artischochi, currently accepted as Cynara cardunculus, commonly known as artichoke. Artwork from Hortus Eystettensis by Basilius Besler, 1613, volume 2

Corypha taliera, c 1795 - 1804
Illustration of Corypha taliera, by unknown Indian artist, 1795 - 1804. Hand painted copy of an illustration commissioned by William Roxburgh, Kew Collection, c. 1795 - 1804

Punica granatum, L. (Common Pomegranate), 1817
Original illustration of Punica granatum, commonly known as pomegranate, on watercolour and pencil on paper, from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, published as plate 1832B, 1st July 1817

Zingiber officinale, 1887
Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger, from Köhler's Medizinal Pflanzen by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1887, volume 2, plate 202

Foliage, Flowers, and Seed-vessels of a rare West Australian Shrub, 1880
Foliage, Flowers, and Seed-vessels of a rare West Australian Shrub by Marianne North, 1880. Painting number 751

Mesembryanthemum simplex, 1793
Watercolour and pencil on paper by Francis Masson, 1793. Field sketch made by Masson in the Cape of Good Hope

Iris bulbosa latifolia, 1757
Gouache painting on vellum of Iris latifolia with a moth by Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770), signed and dated 1757. The painting is from the Tankerville Collection, purchased 1934

Aloe mitriformis, 1810
Original illustration of Aloe mitriformis, from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, published as plate 1270, 1st March 1810. The currently accepted plant name is Aloe perfoliata

Victoria amazonica
Detail of Victoria amazonica leaves, RBG Kew. This plant is the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies

Fallopia japonica - Japanese Knotweed
Tab.6503. - Fallopia japonica as Polygonum cuspidatum the original illustration is by Anne Barnard, watercolour on paper, 1880; The plate, 6503, was published in Curtiss Botanical Magazine

Microscopical observations of cinchona bark and seedlings, 1862
Microscopical observations of cinchona bark and seedlings by Walter Hood Fitch, from J. E. Howard, Illustrations of the Nueva Quinologia of Pavon, 1862

Galanthus nivalis, 1832-1833
Illustration of Galanthus nivalis commonly known as snowdrop, milk flower or candlemass bells, 1832-1833. Artwork from Flora Regni Borussici by Albert Gottfried Dietrich, volume 1, plate 32

Dracula chimaera (Vampire orchid), 1882-1897
Illustration of Dracula chimaera by John Nugent Fitch from The Orchid Album, Comprising Coloured Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, and Beautiful Orchidaceous Plants, 1882- 1897; t. 203

Iris (Iris sanguinea), woodblock print and manuscript on paper, 1828
Wood block print and manuscript on paper, Japan, 1828. The wood block prints meassure approximately 25 cm in height. The wood block print is from Honzo Zufu or Illustrated Manual of Medicinal Plants

Citrus x aurantium orange, ancient cultivar of the mandarin-pomelo hybrid complex, Honzo Zufu, 1828
Citrus x aurantium orange, ancient cultivar of the mandarin-pomelo hybrid complex, Wood block print and manuscript on paper, Japan, 1828. The wood block prints meassure approximately 25 cm in height

Roses (Rosa multiflora or Rosa polyantha), woodblock print and manuscript on paper, 1828
Wood block print and manuscript on paper, Japan, 1828. The wood block prints meassure approximately 25 cm in height. The wood block print is from Honzo Zufu or Illustrated manual of medicinal plants

Poppy (Papaver), woodblock print and manuscript on paper, 1828
Wood block print and manuscript on paper, Japan, 1828. The wood block prints meassure approximately 25 cm in height. The wood block print is from Honzo Zufu or Illustrated manual of medicinal plants

Lodoicea maldivica, commonly known as coco de mer or double coconut by William Jackson Hooker from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, 1827. Artwork from volume 54, plate 2734

Rhododendron Dalhousiae (frontispiece), 1849
Frontispiece of a Rhododendron dalhousieae Hook. f. in its native locality, 1849

Reynoutria japonica, 1880
Illustration of Reynoutria japonica, commonly known as Japanese knotweed. Hand-coloured lithograph on paper after the original drawing by Anne Barnard, 1880

Elettaria cardamomum, 1887
Illustration of Elettaria cardamomum, commonly known as cardamom, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1887, volume 1, plate 74

Ficus carica or commonly known as common fig. Illustration from Flora von Deutschland, Osterreich und der Schweiz by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thome, Vol. 2, 1886. Tab 181 T. 181

Benary - Mendelss peas - Tab XXIII - t. 23
Benary - Mendelss peas - Tab XXIII - t.23

Study of Coco de Mer - Lodicea sechellarum
Illustration of the germinating nut, a snake twined around one of the trees and also a drawing of the cross section of the nut

Mesembryanthemum digitatum, 1772-1793
Watercolour on paper of Mesembryanthemum digitatum by Francis Masson, 1772-1793. The inscription mentions Dactylopsis digitata which is an old synonym the current accepted plant name

Stapelia reticulata, 1814
Original illustration of Stapelia reticulata, currently accepted as Huernia reticulata, commonly known as netted-flowered stapelia, from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, published as plate 1662

Hoodia bainii, 1878
Original illustration of Hoodia bainii, currently accepted as Hoodia gordonii, from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, published as plate 6348, 1st March 1878. Watercolour and pencil on paper

Allium sphaerocephalon, 1794
Illustration of Allium sphaerocephalon, commonly known as ornamental onion. Hand-coloured lithograph on paper by Sydenham Edwards, 1794. Artwork from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, volume 7, plate 251

Allium senescens, 1808
Illustration of Allium senescens, commonly known as ornamental onion. Hand-coloured lithograph on paper by Sydenham Edwards, 1808. Artwork from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, volume 29, plate 1150

Allium giganteum, 1885
Hand-coloured lithograph on paper by Matilda Smith, 1885. Artwork from Curtiss Botanical Magazine, volume 111, plate 6828

Vaults at the Millennium Seed Bank
Photo of Seed Collections staff in the vaults at the Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst, 2009. The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is a growing collection of seeds from around the world

Dendrobium kingianum, 1834-1849
Illustration of Dendrobium kingianum engraved by Samuel Holden from Magazine of Botany and Register of Flowering Plants by Joseph Paxton, vol 12, 1834-1849

Cypripedium reginae (Showy orchid), 1876
Watercolour illustration of Cypripedium reginae (Showy orchid) by John Day, 12 June 1876. Artwork from John Days Scrapbook, volume 19, page 57

Corylus avellana, hazel
Corylus avellana. Common hazel. Illustration from Flora von Deutschland, Osterreich und der Schweiz by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thome, Vol. 2, 1886. Tab. 163 T. 163

Puya chilensis (Chilli), 1880s
Puya chilensis (Chilli) by Marianne North, 1880s. Medium: Oil on board. Dimensions: H 90.4 x W 20.4 cm

Bee Orchid
Photograph of Ophrys apifera at Kew Gardens, commonly known as bee orchid, June 2010

Angraecum sesquipedale, 1870
Angraecum sesquipedale by John Day, 30 November, 1870. Artwork from John Day's Scrapbook volume 16, page 39

Coelogyne cristata, 1877
Watercolour illustration of Coelogyne cristata by John Day, 19 January 1877. Artwork from John Days Scrapbook, volume 20, page 69

Epidendrum vanille, 1774
Illustration of Epidendrum vanille, currently accepted as Vanilla mexicana. The illustration is from La Botanique mise a la portee de tout le Monde by Nicolas Francois Regnault (1746-c.1810)

Theobroma cacao, 1887
Chromolithograph print on paper of Theobroma cacao, showing cocoa pod and beans, from Kohler's Medicinal Plants, vol 2, plate 183, 1887

Capsicum annuum, 1887
Illustration of Capsicum annuum, commonly known as peppers, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1887, volume 2, plate 35

Coriandrum sativum, 1887
Illustration of Coriandrum sativum, commonly known as coriander, from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1887, volume 1, plate 45

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