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36 results
  • Nigella sativa L. Ranunculaceae Love-in-the-mist, Black Cumin, Nutmeg flower, Roman Coriander. Distribution: SW Asia. Culpeper (1650) writes: ‘Nigella seeds, boyled in oil, and the forehead anointed with it, ease pains in the head, take away leprosie, itch, scurf, and helps scald-heads, inwardly taken they expel worms, they provoke urine and the terms, help difficulty of breathing: the smoke of them (being burned) drives away serpents and venomous beasts.’ The seeds are used as a spice, but as might be expected as a member of the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercups, the plant contains a highly poisonous glycoside, in this case called melanthin. The amount of toxicity present in spices is clearly insufficient to cause problems when used as such. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Nigella sativa L. Ranunculaceae Love-in-the-mist, Black Cumin, Nutmeg flower, Roman Coriander. Distribution: SW Asia. Culpeper (1650) writes: ‘Nigella seeds, boyled in oil, and the forehead anointed with it, ease pains in the head, take away leprosie, itch, scurf, and helps scald-heads, inwardly taken they expel worms, they provoke urine and the terms, help difficulty of breathing: the smoke of them (being burned) drives away serpents and venomous beasts.’ The seeds are used as a spice, but as might be expected as a member of the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercups, the plant contains a highly poisonous glycoside, in this case called melanthin. The amount of toxicity present in spices is clearly insufficient to cause problems when used as such. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Illicium verum Hook.f. Illiciaceae Chinese Star Anise Distribution: China. Illicium anisatum Japanese Star Anise. Distribution Japan. Illicium verum is used as a spice in Asian cooking and for Star Anise tea. The distilled oil is added to cough mixture used by children. Introduced to Europe in 1588 (Pharmacographia Indica, 1890). Illicium anisatum syn. religiosum, has been confused with it (Lindley, 1838, Bentley 1861) but is poisonous and was used to make incense in Japanese and Chinese temples. It was called Skimi by Kaempfer. The seed pods of both species contain shikimic acid (the name being derived from the Japanese word for the plant - shi-kimi) from which Tamiflu, the antiviral drug was synthesised. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Calabash nutmeg plant (Monodora myristica): flowering stem, fruit and floral segments. Coloured lithograph.
  • Pepper plant (Piper nigrum L.): fruiting stem. Line engraving after C. de Bruin, 1706.
  • Milk parsley (Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench): entire flowering and fruiting plant with separate flower, fruit and seed. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1778.
  • Clove plant (Syzygium aromaticum): stem with flower buds. Watercolour, c.1833.
  • Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum): flowering and leafy stem with floral sections. Coloured lithograph after M. A. Burnett, c. 1843.
  • Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.): flowering stem with separate floral segments and bulb and a description of the plant and its uses. Coloured line engraving by C.H.Hemerich, c.1759, after T.Sheldrake.
  • Roots of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and of dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris). Watercolour.
  • Marjoram (Origanum vulgare): flowering stem, rootstock and floral segments. Coloured lithograph after M. A. Burnett, c. 1847.
  • Caraway (Carum carvi L.): flowering and fruiting stem with separate floral segments. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1778.
  • [Leaflet advertising "Homeostatic Herbs", spices and essential oils].
  • [Leaflet advertising "Homeostatic Herbs", spices and essential oils].
  • [Leaflet advertising "Homeostatic Herbs", spices and essential oils].
  • [Leaflet advertising "Homeostatic Herbs", spices and essential oils].
  • Plants, fish and a landscape from the East Indies, including pepper, cocoa, indigo and coffee plants. Line engraving after C. de Bruins, 1706.
  • Specimen : celeberrimis pharmacopoeis Parisiensibus exponendam : die sabbath decima quinta mensis Decembris A.R.S.H.M.D.C.C.III ... Diascordium Fracastorii ... Pulvis Comitissae Kanth [sic] ... Guttae Anglicae Regiae ... Quodquidem ... / moderatore A.F. Boulduc ... conficere tentabit Claudius Josephus Geoffroy.
  • Cardamom plant (Elettaria cardamomum): rootstock sprouting leafy and flowering stems, and separate flower. Coloured lithograph after M. A. Burnett, c. 1847.
  • Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea): entire flowering plants. Coloured etching by C. Pierre, c. 1865, after P. Naudin.
  • Clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum): flowering stem and separate fruit. Coloured lithograph after M. A. Burnett, c. 1842.
  • Clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum): flowering and fruiting stem with cloves and parasitic worm. Coloured etching by J. Pass, c. 1808, after J. Ihle.
  • Bunium bulbocastanum L.: entire flowering and fruiting plant with separate flower, fruit and seed. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1778.
  • Hedge sison (Sison amomum L.): flowering stem with separate leaf, flower and fruit. Coloured engraving after F. von Scheidl, 1776.
  • Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller): flowering and fruiting stems with separate node and floral and fruiting segments. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1778.
  • A galled tree (Mimosa cinerea), a Jamaica pepper tree (Pimenta dioica) and a Turkey rhubarb plant (Rheum palmatum). Coloured engraving, c. 1827.
  • Round-headed garlic (Allium sphaerocephalon) and crow garlic (Allium vineale): flowering stems and bulbs. Coloured lithograph by W. G. Smith, c. 1863, after himself.
  • Ammi (Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague): flowering stem with separate root, flower, fruit and seed. Coloured engraving after F. von Scheidl, 1772.
  • Tumeric (Curcuma longa L.): rhizome with flowering stem and separate leaf and floral segments. Coloured engraving after F. von Scheidl, 1776.
  • Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and a garlic plant (Allium triquetrum): flowering stems and bulbs. Coloured lithograph by W. G. Smith, c. 1863, after himself.