Ferdinand Bauer, Stylidium Scandens, Australian Climbing Trigger Plant.

by Bauer, Ferdinand

Rare Limited Edition reproduction of a watercoloured drawing of Australian native Stylidium by Austrian artist Ferdinand Bauer (1760-1826) for "The Australian Painting of Ferdinand Bauer", a selection reproduced from Bauer's 'Illustrations Florae Novae Hollandiae' (Illustrations of the Flora of Australia originally published in London circa 1815. Between 1801 and 1805 Bauer accompanied Matthew Flinders on the first circumnavigation of Australia. Unfortunately Brown could not find financial support for publication on his return to England, so Bauer left England and returned to Vienna where he finished his series of plants and animals of Australia. The high quality of Ferdinand Bauer's botanical illustrations combined exceptional scientific observation with subtle artistry.

The genus Sylidium was named by Swedish botanist and taxonomist, Olof Swartz, on account of its elongated gybistemium or stylar column, which bears two anthers at its apex just below the stigma. This column is bent and moves when touched by insects, thus sattering the pollen, whence the vernacular name 'trigger plants'. Robert Brown differentiated this species because of its climbing habit. It was discovered by Robert Brown at "King George III Sound" in December 1801.

The botanical plate paper size is 50 x 33cm (19.6 x 13 inches). For presentation at the time of publication, each of these pages was lightly attached at the vertical edges to a dark green sheet of thick paper which has slightly shrunk.