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 is an original uncolored (plain) plate from leftover publisher stock of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, printed in London. It was issued uncolored and never bound. We bought the holding at the estate of a Chicago rare bookseller. Labels and stock papers from the British dealer Wheldon & Wesley came with it. Library stamps, when present, are noted on the listing.