Vintage Botanical Prints – 3 in a series – Nature drawing and design (1903) by Frank Steeley

Vintage Botanical Prints - 3 in a series - Nature drawing and design ((1903) by Frank Steeley

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from Nature drawing and design (1903) by Frank Steeley via The Internet Archive

PLATE I.

SNOWDROP (Gnlanthus nivalis). The name in Greek signifies “Milk Flower.”

This delicate and graceful little flower is the earliest to bloom, and, even before winter lias passed, may often be seen popping its head through the snow Tt is a native of the South of Europe, and grows in woods and pastures. It is occasionally found in an apparently wild state in England and Scotland, and some authorities claim that it is also a native of Britain.

It is largely cultivated in gardens, and is grown from a bulb. Each bulb produces two leaves and one single-flowered leafless stem. The leaves are grass-like in construction, which will be seen by reference to the plate, bluish-green in colour, short and erect in their early stages, and parallel- veined. The flower is white, and usually hangs downwards, as its name implies. It has three outer petals or segments, and three inner and shorter ones marked with green and notched on their outer edge. The outer petals are pure white, and when spread open form a bell-shaped flower of good proportion. When viewed in plan, the flower fits into an equilateral triangle ; the larger petals fill the corners, while the inner ones arrange themselves midway betwesn, and touch the sides; a little scalloped and radiating ornament forms the centre. The profile view, the construction of which is given on the sheet, also falls into a triangle.

Drawings of the plant, from various points of view, and in different stages of development, are shown in order to give a better idea of its characteristics.

There are many species of the Snowdrop, but only two are shown here. It is not thought necessary to enlarge upon their points of difference, as they are slight and unimportant to the designer for whom these drawings are intended.

Vintage Botanical Prints - 3 in a series - Nature drawing and design ((1903) by Frank Steeley

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  1. Vintage Botanical Prints – 1 in a series – Bouquet from Flower pictures (1914) by Maude Angell
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