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  • A plant, possibly of the Rubiaceae family: flowering and fruiting stem with separate leaf. Watercolour.
  • A species of the plant family Rubiaceae: entire flowering plant with separate floral sections. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1774.
  • Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis Rubiaceae. Cape jasmine - as erroneously believed to have come from South Africa. Distribution: China. Named for Dr Alexander Garden FRS (1730-1791) Scottish-born physician and naturalist who lived in Charles Town, South Carolina, and corresponded with Linnaeus and many of the botanists of his era. The fruits are used in China both as a source of a yellow dye, and for various unsubstantiated medicinal uses. Other species of Gardenia are found in tropical Africa and the roots and leaves have all manner of putative uses. Gardenia tenuifolia is used as an aphrodisiac, for rickets, diarrhoea, leprosy, gall bladder problems, toothache, liver complaints, diabetes, hypertension, malaria and abdominal complaints. It causes violent vomiting and diarrhoea. It, and other species, are used to poison arrows and to poison fish. Some native, muthi medicine, healers regard Gardenia as a ‘last chance’ medicine, given to patients when all else fails – the patient either dies or recovers (Neuwinger, 1996). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Crosswort or bedstraw (Galium cruciata): four flowering stems. Colour nature print by H. Bradbury.
  • A plant (Canthium parviflorum) related to Ceylon boxwood: branch with flowers and fruits, separate flowers, fruit and sectioned fruit with seed. Coloured line engraving.
  • A plant (Coutarea pubescens): flowering stem and floral segments. Coloured lithograph.
  • An Hedyotis plant: flowering stem and root. Watercolour.
  • Garden Gardinia or Cape jasmine (Gardenia augusta (L.) Merr.): branch with flowers and fruit and separate flowers and fruit. Coloured line engraving.
  • A bedstraw plant (Galium species): flowering stems. Watercolour.
  • Crucianella maritima L.: flowering stem with separate floral sections. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1774.
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