Curtis Botanical – Plate 6623 – Shore Butterfly Vine / Coastal Malpighia Vine

Original antique black-and-white print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 6623.

A Brazilian coastal vine (littorale = of the shore) with bright yellow orchid-like flowers — the golden wings give it an almost butterfly-like appearance in bloom. The Malpighiaceae family produces some of the showiest tropical vines in the world.

Florida, Hawaii — similar vines grow in warm coastal gardens.

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.