Curtis Botanical - Plate 274 - Borbonia crenata / Heart-leaved Borbonia

Original hand-colored antique botanical print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine - Plate 274, Borbonia crenata (Heart-leaved Borbonia).

• Plate: 274
• Latin name: Borbonia crenata
• Common name: Heart-leaved Borbonia
• Native region: Cape of Good Hope
• Flowering: June to August
• Flower colour: Yellow
• Linnaean class / order: Diadelphia / Decandria
• Publication: Sept 1, 1794
• Medium: Original hand-colored engraving (physical print, not a reproduction)

Original Curtis text
Transcribed from the plate's accompanying description page:

[ 274 ]

BORBONIA CRENATA. HEART-LEAVED BORBONIA.

. . .

Class and Order.
DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA.

Generic Character.
Cal. acuminato-spinosus. Stigma emarginatum. Legumen mucronatum.

Specific Character and Synonyms.
BORBONIA crenata foliis cordatis multinerviis denticulatis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 643. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 9. FRUTEX aethiopicus leguminosus, foliis rufci majoribus in ambitu spinulis fimbriatis. Pluk. Alm. 159. PLANTA leguminosa aethiopica, foliis rufci. Breyn. Cent. 1. 28. Borbonia is a genus of plants established by LINNEUS in the 6th edition of his Genera Plantarum; of this genus there are fix species enumerated in the 2d edition of the Species Plant. and two in the Hort. Kew. the latter of which, the crenata, introduced from the Cape by Mr. MASSON, in 1774, is here figured.

It is a small shrubby plant, rarely exceeding the height of three feet, producing its flowers in a small cluster on the summits of the branches; these are of a yellow colour, and have nothing about them peculiarly singular, or beautiful; it is the foliage alone which renders this plant desirable in a collection. It flowers from June to August, and in favourable seasons ripens its seeds, by which the plant is usually propagated.

This print comes from our Curtis archive (via the Royal Horticultural Society and Wheldon & Wesley). Sold as an original historic plate - please review photos for condition.