item details
NameElectryon excelsum (Titoki). Plate 8. From the book: New Zealand berries
ProductionMiss Emily Harris; artist; 1890; Nelson
H D Jackson; publisher; 1890; Nelson
H D Jackson; publisher; 1890; Nelson
Classificationrare books
Materialswatercolour, lithographic ink
Materials Summaryhand-coloured lithograph
Dimensionspage: 245mm (width), 306mm (height)
Registration NumberRB001329/008a
Overview
Plate 8 of 12 from Emily Harris' New Zealand Berries (1890). The hand-coloured illustration is accompanied by the following text describing the plant:
Electryon excelsum (Titoki)
A lofty tree common in the forest of North and South Islands. The only species of the genus and confined to New Zealand. Berries bright scarlet with one black shining seed. "Not yet / Had the electryon's beads of jet, / Each on its scarlet strawberry set." Domett
Alfred Domett (1811-1887), born in England, emigrated to New Zealand in 1842 and became actively invovled in the political domain, for example serving as New Zealand's fourth premier. He also pursued literary interests, and the citation in Harris' text comes from his lenghty poem Ranolf and Amohia (1872).