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Home » Inspiration » 88 free vintage medicinal plant illlustrations

88 free vintage medicinal plant illlustrations

|Free Art, Inspiration, Top

Franz Eugen Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen or Medicinal Plants was published in 1887 in Germany. It comes in four volumes and includes over 300 detailed, beautiful, botanical illustrations of plants. Below we supply 88 from Volume 1.

While the book was written by Kohler, the pictures were drawn by artists L. Müeller and C.F. Schmidt. They were then rendered in chromolithography by a certain K. Gunther. Chromolithography was the number one technique for printing in colour for around a decade between the mid-18th and 19th Centuries.  This process required a skilled lithographer to draw the original painting, by hand, in reverse, onto limestone slabs and later zinc plates. They would then ink this with a colour and use that to print onto paper. They repeated this process for all the other colours they needed, using a different stone for each one. The colours would overprint each other until the original image was recreated. Printing methods started to get a little easier after this method. Wikipedia has a great timeline of the History of Printing.

It is 75 years since the death of the author which in most of Europe denotes it is the Public Domain. That means all images are copyright free.

The original species title is written below exactly as it is printed on the picture. Where we think the currently accepted name differs significantly for the plant we have checked it against The Catalogue of Life or The Plant List and have written it in brackets. The common or vernacular name or names comes after that.

Click on the image below to download a higher resolution PDF.

Medicinal Botanical Plants
Hagenia abyssinica Willd., Kosso



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Pinus silvestris L., Scotch pine


Medicinal Botanical Plants
Potentilla Tormentilla Schrnk. (Potentilla erecta (L.) Räuschel),   Tormentil



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Erythroxylon Coca Lam. (Erythroxylum coca)  Cocaine



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Chondrus crispus Lyngb. Gigartina mamillosa J. Ag., (Chondrus crispus Stackh.) Irish moss



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Aspidium filix mas Sw., (Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott), Male fern



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinchona officinalis Hook. fil., Quinine Bark Tree



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinchona succirubra Pav. (Cinchona pubescens Vahl), Quinine



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinchona Calisaya Wedd., Quinine



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn. (Cinnamomum verum J. S. Presl),  Cinnamon



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinnamomum Cassia Blume. (Cinnamomum cassia (L.) Presl) Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cinnamomum Camphora F. Nees et Eberm., (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl), Camphor tree



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Tussilago farfara L., Coltsfoot



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Pilocarpus pinnatifolius Lem.,  Pilocarpus, Jaborandi



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Dammara alba Rumph., (Agathis dammara (Lamb.) Rich. & A. Rich.), Amboina pitch tree



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Podophyllum peltatum L., Mayapple



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Aconitum Napellus L., Venus’ chariot



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cetraria islandica Acharius., Iceland Lichen



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Achillea Millefolium L., Common Yarrow



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Artemisia Absinthium L., Absinthium



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Mentha piperita L., (Mentha × piperita L.), Peppermint



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Mentha viridis L. var. crispata Schrader. (Mentha spicata L.) , Spearmint



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Melissa officinalis L., Balm mint or Common Balm



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Taraxacum officinale Web., Common dandelion



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Matricaria Chamomilla L.,  Chamomile



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Rhamnus cathartica L., Common buckthorn



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Digitalis purpurea L., Foxglove



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Platanthera bifolia Rchb., Lesser butterfly orchid



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Orchis militaris L. Military orchid



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Lavandula vera D. C. (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) Lavender



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Malva silvestris L. Common mallow



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Humulus Lupulus L., Common hop



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Thymus vulgaris L.,  Thyme



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cochlearia officinalis L., Common scurvygrass



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Juglans regia L., Walnut



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Populus nigra L.,  Lombardy poplar



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Beta vulgaris L. var. Rapa Dum.,  (see comment below)



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Abies alba Miller.,  Silver fir



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Juniperus communis L., Common juniper



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Melilotus officinalis Desr., Ribbed melliot or Yellow sweetclover



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Vitis vinifera L., Grape



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Mallotus philippinensis Müller Arg. (Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll.Arg.),  Kamala tree



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Lycopodium clavatum L., Running clubmoss



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Artemisia Cina Berg., Wormseed or Santonica



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Valeriana officinalis L., Common valerian



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Citrus Limonum Risso., (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ), Lemon



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Sambucus nigra L., Elder



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Verbascum phlomoides L., Orange mullein



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Rubus Idaeus L., Raspberry



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Althaea officinalis L.,  Marshmallow



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Larix decidua Miller., European larch or Common larch



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Symphytum officinale L., Common comfrey



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Thymus Serpyllum L., Wild thyme



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Salvia officinalis L. , Sage



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Papaver somniferum L., Opium poppy



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Citrus vulgaris Risso. (Citrus aurantium L.), Orange



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Prunus Cerasus L., Sour cherry



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Pirus Malus L., (Malus pumila Mill.) Apple



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cydonia vulgaris Pers., (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), Quince



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Fagus silvatica L., European beech

Medicinal Botanical Plants
Nicotiana rustica L., Mapacho Aztec tobacco



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Quercus sessiliflora Sm. (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. ) Sessile oak or Durmast oak



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Quercus pedunculata Ehrh. (Quercus robur L.) English oak



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Viscum album L., Mistletoe



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cnicus benedictus L., Blessed thistle



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Viola tricolor L.,  Wild pansy or Heartsease



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Laurus nobilis L., Bay or Laurel



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Daphne Mezereum L., Paradise plant



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Colchicum autumnale L., Autumn crocus, Meadow saffron



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Ruta graveolens L. , Common rue



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Datura Stramonium L., Jimsonweed, Datura



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Erythraea Centaurium Pers. (Centaurium erythraea Rafn,), Common centaury



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Chelidonium majus L., Greater celandine



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Rhamnus Frangula L. (Frangula alnus Mill. ) Alder buckthorn



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Althaea rosea Cav., (Alcea rosea L.), Hollyhock



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Nicotiana Tabacum L., Cultivated tobacco



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Acorus Calamus L., Sweet flag, calamus



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Linum usitatissimum L., Common flax or Linseed



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Tilia ulmifolia Scop.,  (Tilia cordata Mill.),  Littleleaf linden



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Brassica juncea Hook fil. Et Thoms.,  Chinese mustard



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Brassica nigra Koch,  Black mustard



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Cannabis sativa L., Marijuana



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Arnica montana L., Mountain arnica



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Hyoscyamus niger L., Henbane



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Atropa Belladonna L., Deadly nightshade or Belladonna



Medicinal Botanical Plants
Brassica Napus oleifera D.C. var. hiemalis Döll., (Brassica napus subsp. napus L.) , Rapeseed


Medicinal Botanical Plants
Picea excelsa Lk., (Picea abies var. abies),  Norway spruce


Medicinal Botanical Plants
Lactuca virosa L.,  Wild  lettuce


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9 Responses to 88 free vintage medicinal plant illlustrations

  • Nancy Holyfield

    Re: Beta vulgaris L.var Rapa dum: You state under the picture that you don’t know what this is. I looked it up and its common name is called “Mangold” and it is listed as a poisonous plant of new Zealand if that interests anyone.

    Reply
    • plant curator

      Thanks Nancy, can you tell us your source? On Wikipedia, if you type in Mangold you get Beta vulgaris L. But this species includes many cultivated varieties. If we look up Beta vulgaris L. Wikipedia tells us it has three subspecies and all cultivated varieties fall under Beta vulgaris L. var vulgaris, a grouping that contains all beets grown for their thickened tubers rather than their leaves. So Mangold would be one of these for sure. But the name Beta vulgaris L. var Rapa Dum. I can’t find a reference for (in theplantlist, catalogueoflife or IPNI) and in the picture there is no thickened tuber!

      Reply
      • Karen

        Are prints available?  I would love to have!

        Reply
  • nancy holyfield

    I would like to give you the exact source but it has been a few weeks and I don’t remember the exact place I found the answer. I can tell you that is was some site within the department of agriculture’s poisonous plants database is where I found this exact variety listed as a poisonous plant that originated in new zealand, so it did come from some old archives from the dept of agriculture. I will see if I can find it again and give you the link

    Reply
  • nancy holyfield

    Ok, sorry that I couldn’t tell you the exact source in previous post, and I actually was mistaken when I said I found it in old archives of Dept of Agriculture. It was actually found in the old archives of the FDA.  Anyway, here is the link where I found this plant http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/detail.cfm?id=6714
    And this is a copy and paste from the part about this plant off the page. I hope this will help you out with identifying the plant. Otherwise, I know nothing more about it than what I found here.

    FDA Poisonous Plant Database
    FDA #: F23887
    GRIN #: mobot9 10
    COMMON NAME: mangold
    STANDARD COMMON NAME:
    FAMILY: Chenopodiaceae
    LATIN NAME: Beta vulgaris var. rapa
    STANDARD PLANT NAME: Beta vulgaris L. var. rapa Dum.

    Reply
    • Bronwyn Carlisle

      I don’t think that all the plants in that FDA database are poisonous. Directly under the mangold entry there is the following, which includes all cabbages, broccoli, etc etc. I imagine the database has all plants, and their levels of toxicity, even if that level is zero. Which makes sense, because if you left out the non poisonous plants, when you looked something up you wouldn’t know if it was non-toxic or just missing.

      COMMON NAME:
      STANDARD COMMON NAME:
      FAMILY: Brassicaceae
      LATIN NAME: Brassica
      STANDARD PLANT NAME: Brassica sp.

      Reply
  • Kathy

    The actual german book these plants come from calls the Beta vulgaris rapa dum the ‘Runkelrube’ or Mangold which from this website: http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Beta.html#vulgaris-vulgaris

    states this version as Beta vulgaris var. Rapa dum f. rubra from the Crassa Group of beet names . . . if that helps anyone.

    Reply
  • jo alvis

    Hi, I am a designer making an exhibition at a cider production farm. We need some beautiful illustrations with regards to apples & the changing seasons. Is this something you could help us with?

    Reply
  • Johan Strydom

    Have, or will these books be republished? They deserve to be.

    Reply

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