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Alstroemeria Chilensis Varr.

Arentine H. Arendsen, Dutch · 1881

Alstroemeria Chilensis Varr.
This botanical illustration by Dutch artist Arentine H. Arendsen depicts a South American lily species in meticulous hand-colored detail. The plate combines scientific precision with decorative arrangement—multiple flower heads in red, yellow, and white cluster above delicate green stems and foliage. Published in A. C. Van Eeden's *Flora of Haarlem*, the image exemplifies 19th-century horticultural documentation, when illustrated botanical volumes served both collectors and scholars. The careful rendering of stamens, petal gradations, and bud stages reflects the dual purpose of such works: aesthetic display for the parlor and empirical record for the naturalist's library.

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