1. Bactris minor, decies imminuta… [Bactris minor tree] 2. Bactridis majoris drupa, nux, & nucleus volumine naturali. [Drupe of the Bactris major tree] 3. Palmae Grigri dictae drupa, nux, & drupa transverfim difciffa. [Drupe of the Palmae Grigri tree] 4. Palmae Corozo fructus, nux, & nucleus. [Fruit of the Corozo Palm]

Description

hand-coloured copper engraving.

Botanical print from “Nicolai Josephi Jacquin Selectarum stirpium Americanarum historia…”, published in Ex Officina Krausiana, Vindobonae [Vienna]; TABCLXXI. Featuring the palm as Fig. 1 and its parts like leaf and nuts as pl. 171. Fig. 2,3, and 4, with plate no. 171 repeated in lower right corner. Nicolai Josephi Jacquin was asked by the emperor of Austria, Francis I, to make a botanical exploration of the West Indies where he went from 1755 to 1759. On his return, he became professor of botany and director of the botanical garden of the University of Vienna in 1768. Bactris minor is now known as Bactris guineensis; its common names are Tobago cane or prickley-pole. Bactris major is commonly called the lata palm, and its fruit is used to make an alcoholic drink. The grigri palm is probably Arecoideae Cocoae Bactridinae, also known as ruffle or macaw palm. The corozo palm is useful for its oil and nuts.