Illustration of the natural world, for an interior with a unique naturalist look - Indigo tree lying down by Charles d'Orbigny

Reproduction engraving of: Indigo palm lying down (Indigofera procumbens, Lin.)

Illustration taken from the Universal Dictionary of Natural History, written under the direction of Charles Henry Dessalines d'Orbigny (1806-1876) and published from 1841 to 1849.

This work, considered one of the major achievements of the 19th century in terms of scientific synthesis and quality popularization, wonderfully illustrating the great beauty and impressive diversity of the biological world, was supplemented by a certain amount of scientific information, some extracts of which are reproduced below.

Important note: the scientific classification elements of the time have been preserved as they are and may of course be obsolete today.

Scientific classification and description of the species present in the engraving:

Class of Dicotyledonous Plants
Subclass Polypetales
Subdivision of Polypetals-perigynia
Order of Apospermae aperispemae
Papilionaceae Legume Family
Prone indigo palm (Indigofera procumbens, Lin.)
• The painter wrongly depicted all the upright branches.
Fig. 1. The standard.
Fig. 2. A wing.
Fig. 3, 6. Hull in profile and from the front.
Fig. 5. Flower from which the corolla has been removed.
Fig. 6. Isolated and spread out androecium.
Fig. 7. Isolated pistil.
Fig. 8. Indigofera tinctoria vegetable, Flax.
Fig. 9. Whole dry seed.
Fig. 10. Whole seed that has been left in water for several hours.
Fig. 11. Its embryo, seen from the side.
Fig. 12. The same, seen through the commissure of the cotyledons; the radicle is deflected to one side.