Dianthus verschaffelthii, Plate XXXVI

This botanical illustration from Edward George Henderson's *The Illustrated Bouquet* depicts a cultivated variety of carnation with distinctive white petals heavily marked in deep crimson. The artist renders the narrow, linear foliage with careful attention to natural growth patterns, while unopened buds and two fully opened flower heads dominate the composition. Hand-colored lithography captures the delicate gradations of the petals' markings and the subtle variations in leaf tone. Miss Sowerby's meticulous technique reflects nineteenth-century horticultural publishing standards, when illustrated botanical works served both aesthetic and practical purposes for gardeners and plant enthusiasts.