Botany, Australian,  Dodonaea microzyga Forest Flora of South Australia, Antique Print, Fiveash, Brown

Common Name: Brilliant Hop-Bush

Distribution: Formally described by by botanist Ferdinand con Mueller based on samples collected near Neale River, Souuth Australia in 1863 during John McDouall Stuart's expedition.

Antique chromolithograph drawn on stone by H. Barratt and lithographed by E Spiller after Rosa Catherine Fiveash (1855-1938), born in Adelaide and was trained in scientific illustration for this large project that she worked on for 8 years.

Printed at the Government Printer (corner of King William Rd./North Tce) by E.Spiller, issued by subscription 1882-90 for John Edne Brown's Forest Flora of South Australia

Condition: Very good clean chromolithograph with soft corrugation along edges.

Issued with original text describing as "a species of 'Native Hop', far from common in the Colony..."

Paper Size 55 x 41cm (22 x 16.4 inch) / Image Size 44.5 x 34 cm ( 17.8 x 13.6 inch)

Certificate of Authenticity supplied.

John Ednie Brown (1848-1899)

“The Forest Flora of South Australia” that was offered for sale by subscription between 1882-90. Born in Scotland, Brown visited the USA in 1871 and wrote a report on the Californian forests, it was soon after this that he was offered the position of Conservator of Forests in South Australia. Not only had was South Australia's native habitats put under pressure by commercial cropping but also by pastoral activities, hence there was great concern. Brown had seen similar pressures on the California flora so set about recording the  largest & most accurate group of lithographs depicting Australian native plants made in the colonial period. This would serve as a local botanical record, the Talbot Gardens established in 1856 could harvest and store seeds, and local artist, Rose Catherine Fiveash, was taught to depict the samples for classification. They were chromo-lithographed (Printed in color ink off lithographic Bavarian Limestone blocks) and printed by the Government Printer in Adelaide.