Nahrungspflanzen II. [Food Plants II.]

Description

lithograph.

The print was issued as an illustrative botanical plate for the 3rd edition of ‘Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (3. Aufl.)’, produced by the Bibliographisches Institut in Leipzig, published between 1874 and 1878. Founded by Joseph Meyer (1796–1856) in 1839, the encyclopedia revolutionised reference works by prioritising strict empirical accuracy, detailed maps, and premium technical illustrations over text-heavy entries. Under the direction of his son, Hermann Julius Meyer, the firm maintained this rigorous precision, documenting the era’s major achievements in scientific exploration until the encyclopedia’s 1984 merger with Brockhaus. This plate serves as a detailed educational overview of exotic and tropical economic plants, displaying their overall physical structures alongside magnified anatomical cross-sections of their flowers, seeds, and fruits. Featured botanical specimens include the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Amazonian Guarana (Paullinia sorbilis), Breadfruit (Artocarpus incisa), Almond (Amygdalus communis), Fig (Ficus carica), Screw Pine (Pandanus odoratissimus), Wild Banana (Musa sapientum), and Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera). Noteably, Wild Banana and Screw Pine are indigenous to the Philippines. Overall, the plate stands as an exceptional example of the intersection between 19th century scientific publishing and global botanical illustration.