Tigridia Conchiflora Var. Canariensis, Plate 86

This botanical illustration depicts the Canary Islands variant of tiger flower, rendered in chromolithography by Dutch artist Arentine H. Arendsen for A. C. Van Eeden's horticultural reference work. The composition arranges three blooms at varying stages—buds, open flowers, and spent petals—against pale green grounds with sword-like foliage. Deep red spotting patterns mark the bright yellow petals with precise detail. The plate exemplifies 19th-century scientific illustration practice: careful color separation, anatomical accuracy, and decorative presentation combining to serve both botanical study and aesthetic appeal. Such works documented exotic plant species entering European cultivation during the period of expanded global trade.