Curtis Botanical – Plate 6333 – Shield-leafed Alloplectus

Original antique black-and-white print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 6333.

A Colombian gesneriad (African violet family) with large, shield-shaped leaves (peltatus = shield-shaped, referring to the leaf stalk attaching at the centre rather than the edge) and small tubular orange-red flowers. The gesneriad family is beloved by houseplant collectors for its extraordinary diversity of leaf textures and flower forms.

Colombian and Venezuelan heritage connection.

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.