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Pittosporum ralphii, Ralphs desertwillow
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Pittosporum ralphii, Ralphs desertwillow
Finished watercolour by James Miller from an original outline drawing by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage across the Pacific, 1768-1771
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Media ID 8579745
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10706502
18th Century Apiales Asterid Australasia Captain Cook Captain James Cook Cook Desert Endeavour Eudicot Eurosid Fabidae First James Miller Malpighiales Miller New Zealand Angiospermae Dicot Dicotyledon Magnoliophyta Pittosporum
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This stunning watercolour painting depicts Pittosporum ralphii, also known as Ralph's desertwillow, a beautiful angiosperm native to New Zealand and other parts of Australasia. The painting is a finished work by James Miller, based on an original outline drawing made during Captain James Cook's historic first voyage across the Pacific Ocean between 1768 and 1771. Cook's ship, the Endeavour, explored new territories and charted uncharted waters, bringing back valuable knowledge and discoveries, including the first European record of this intriguing plant. Pittosporum ralphii is a flowering plant belonging to the Pittosporaceae family, order Apiales, and class Magnoliophyta. It is an eudicot, specifically an asterid within the eurosid clade. This plant is characterized by its attractive, glossy, green leaves, which are simple, entire, and ovate or elliptic in shape. The plant can grow up to 3 meters tall and is commonly found in desert areas, hence the name desertwillow. The painting captures the delicate beauty of the plant's leaves, with their intricate veining and subtle shading, as well as the tiny, white flowers that bloom in clusters. Sydney Parkinson, the original outline drawer, was an accomplished artist and botanical illustrator who accompanied Cook on his voyage. He made detailed observations and sketches of the flora and fauna they encountered during their travels. James Miller, a skilled watercolour painter, later used Parkinson's sketches as a reference to create this stunning and accurate representation of Pittosporum ralphii. This painting is a testament to the rich botanical discoveries made during Cook's first voyage and the important role that art and science played in documenting and preserving them for future generations.
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