Curtis Botanical – Plate 7340 – Desmet's Dyckia

Original antique black-and-white print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 7340.

A fierce, succulent bromeliad from Brazil with sharply spined, aloe-like leaves and brilliant orange flower spikes — very unlike the typical idea of a bromeliad. Named for Louis-Benoît De Smet, a Belgian horticulturist.

Southern California, Arizona, Texas — grows outdoors in warm dry climates.

Uncolored plate. Condition consistent with age of volume. Each print is a unique piece of botanical history, printed on paper aged over a century.

This plate originated with the Royal Horticultural Society and passed through Wheldon & Wesley, one of the great natural history dealers of the 20th century. We came into the archive by accident and have spent the time since trying to share it as widely as we can.