Curtis Botanical Magazine Plate 634 - Punica nana (Dwarf Pomegranate Tree) | Original Hand-Colored Print

Original hand-colored antique botanical print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine - Plate 634, Punica nana (Dwarf Pomegranate Tree).

• Plate: 634
• Latin name: Punica nana
• Common name: Dwarf Pomegranate Tree
• Native region: West Indies
• Linnaean class / order: Icosandria / Monogynia
• Medium: Original hand-colored engraving (physical print, not a reproduction)

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

[ 634 ]

PUNICA NANA. DWARF POMEGRANATE TREE.

. . .

Class and Order.
ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

Generic Character.
Cal. 5-fidus superus. Petala 5. Pomum multiloculare polyspernum.

Specific Character and Synonyms.
PUNICA nana; foliis linearibus, caule fruticofo. Sp. Pl. 676. Hort. Kew. 2. 160. Willd. Sp. Pl. 2. 981. Mart. Mill. Dict. PUNICA americana nana seu humillima. Tournef. Inst. 636.

The PUNICA nana, of which no figure has, to our knowledge, been hitherto given, is a shrub of humble growth, in other respects to closely allied to PUNICA Granatum, that perhaps they might be considered as mere varieties, at least it is difficult to find distinguishing characters, the leaves of our plant not being narrower in proportion to the length than in the other. Is generally supposed to be a native of the West Indies, and BROWN, in his History of Jamaica, mentions a larger and smaller variety of PUNICA, cultivated there, but does not say whether indigenous or not, nor do we find the other authors who have mentioned it, sufficiently explicit to admit of ascertaining its native country. It is wonderful that to beautiful a shrub, cultivated by MILLER so long since as the year 1731, and easily propagated by layers, should not be more common; certainly there are few inhabitants of the greenhouse more ornamental, continuing full three months in blossoms. MILLER

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.