Naturalist wall print, an elegant addition to a decor inspired by nature - Maritime pine by Charles d'Orbigny

Engraving reproduction of: Maritime pine (Pinus maritima, Lamk.)

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 of Gymnosperms
Family of Abietinaceae
Maritime pine (Pinus maritima, Lamk.)
Fig. 1. Very young male inflorescence.
Fig. 2. Adult male inflorescence.
Fig. 3. Isolated male flower, seen from below, showing the two longitudinal slits through which pollen passes.
Fig. 4. The same, side view.
Fig. 5. The same, seen from above.
Fig. 6. The same, cut transversely.
Fig. 7. A highly magnified pollen grain, seen slightly from the side.
Fig. 8. The same, seen from above.
Fig. 9. Two fruits in place, applied against the scale of the cone, natural size.
Fig. 10. Isolated whole fruit.
Fig. 11. Fruit cut lengthwise, so as to show the embryo in place.
Fig. 12. Isolated whole embryo.
• The engraver wrongly depicted its root end as clearly terminated.
Fig. 13. Cross-section of the cotyledons showing the clear division into two opposite groups of lobes, which many botanists have until now regarded as so many distinct cotyledons. This arrangement proves that there are only two cotyledons, each deeply divided into four lobes.