Ornamentals c.1806; Cyrtopodium andersonii

Following on from last week's post where I noted that over time Alexander Anderson focussed on planting ornamental and exotic plants over useful ones, this post highlights some of these. Anderson's 1806 plant catalogue lists 1377 plant species, of which 931 are ornamental/exotic. Of these, 121 plants he describes as beautiful, and 31 as curious. One plant that is described using both terms is Alpinia Grandifolia. There is an illustration of this plant held at The Linnean Society of London where is also bears the name Cyrtopodium Andersonii.

Of this plant Anderson writes "...This species is an elegant plant. This woody fibrous roots which spread very much from Arises a Number of woody stems, round smooth speckled with yellow & red spots untill wither a foot of the leaf they are yellow, they are 3/4 of an inch thick from 6 to 8 high, they are sheathed at the bottom and the top sustains one very large leaf, above 3 foot long and 18 inches broad of an oval - oblong shape of a yellow-green on the upper side with transverse ascending parallel ribs elevated above the surface, with delicate parallel lines the underside covered with a white dust. Among the leaves arises stems similar to the former which sustain one smaller leaf the flowers at the bottom of its footstalk. The flower stalks come out from a sheath about a foot long being 4 or 5 together, divided at the top into severall long round spikes of flowers. The flowers are yellow, always two together from the bosom of a number spatho or sheaths - The Indians on the continent use the stems for making baskets & other utensils. This plant is found in St Lucia, St Vincent & Grenada. It is common on the continent. It grows by margins of Rivers, Rivulets & moist places, in cool & shaded situations."

Cyrtopodium andersonii is a species of orcid. Kew's Plants of the World Online entry notes it is native to part of South America, and Trinidad and Tobago; beyond this there is very little information on their site but it does note some synonyms. The first official dating of the plant was in 1812 (so after Anderson has died) and it was named after him; Cymbidium andersonii Lamb. ex Andrews. The Natural History Museum has a voucher (dried and pressed specimen) of the flower with a drawing, and these can be seen here.

The photograph below is taken from inaturalist.org. You can clearly see why Anderson called it beautiful.