Curtis Botanical – Plate 8074 – Hook-lipped Orchid

Original antique black-and-white botanical print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 8074.

Plant: Listrostachys Hamata (Hook-lipped Orchid). Native to: West Africa (tropical forest).

A small epiphytic orchid named for its hook-shaped flower lip. Grows on trees, drawing only moisture from the air. Victorian orchid mania drove collectors to strip entire forests — a single new species could sell for a year's wages.

Printed in London. Each print is an original page removed from a bound volume of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, the world's oldest continuously published botanical journal (founded 1787). Uncolored plate. Sold individually. Minor age-related toning consistent with 19th-century paper.

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.