Star of Bethlehem and Yellow Gagea, Antique Botanical Plate, circa 1873

An original antique color plate, Plate 227 of Volume V of Anne Pratt's The Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britain, published in London by Frederick Warne and Co. about 1873, showing three British stars of Bethlehem and the yellow gagea. The caption names Spiked Star of Bethlehem, Common Star of Bethlehem, Drooping Star of Bethlehem and the yellow gagea, printed as "Yellow Gager" beside its Latin name Gagea lutea.

The common star of Bethlehem fills the upper left of the sheet with wide open white flowers streaked with green, and the drooping star of Bethlehem hangs its pale green and cream bells lower down at the left. At the right the spiked star of Bethlehem carries a tall spike of green buds above small greenish white starry flowers, and the yellow gagea is drawn in bright gold at the center. Three bulbs with their roots are given at the foot of the sheet, the largest flushed with pink and brown, and long narrow leaves sweep around the whole group.

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

Even age toning. Handling soiling along the bottom, right and top edges. Scattered small foxing spots, mostly in the lower margin. All four corners complete.

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