Early Purple Orchis, Antique British Orchid Plate by Anne Pratt, circa 1873

This is an original antique botanical plate, Plate 214 from Volume V of Anne Pratt's The Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britain, circa 1873, showing four British orchises. The caption names Green Winged Meadow Orchis (Orchis morio), Early Purple Orchis (O. mascula), Dwarf Dark Winged Orchis (O. ustulata) and Great Brown Winged Orchis (O. fusca).

Four flower spikes stand side by side. The green winged meadow orchis at the left carries pale pink flowers with spotted lips. The great brown winged orchis rises at the center, its flowers with dark olive brown hoods over pink spotted lips. Beside it the small spike of the dwarf dark winged orchis shows dark buds at the top and white flowers spotted with purple below. The early purple orchis at the right is a full spike of pink flowers with yellow throats. A broad leaf marked with dark spots stands behind the center, other green leaves fill the base, and brown tubers with their roots are drawn at the lower left and lower right.

The plate comes from The Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britain, the six volume flora for which Anne Pratt (1806 to 1893) wrote the text and drew the plants. It was published in London by Frederick Warne and Co., Bedford Street, Covent Garden, for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, circa 1873, with Scribner, Welford and Armstrong as the New York house. This sheet belongs to Volume V, whose title page records 237 species in color. The plates were printed in color by William Dickes of London, a licensee of George Baxter's color process.

Even age toning. Handling soiling along the edges, strongest at the right. Foxing spots in the top margin and a faint ring stain in the right margin. Small nicks along the top and bottom right edges. Slight corner wear.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.