Plate 45 from Merian's 'Insectorum Surinamensium' showing the peacock flower

The text that accompanies this figure explains that te Pavonis or Peacock's Flower produces yellow and red flowers and a seed that is given to women in labour to hasten the birth of children. The English language translation by William Chinnery also explains that the enslaved people living in Suriname to "provoke miscarriage to prevent children being born like themselves, as slaves, under so heavy a yoke."

The original text in Latin by Merian says "ejus ope fibi abortum accrsant, liberos taim gravi jugo fibi fimiles & partier mancipia nasci, præpedituræ". Abortum directly translates to abortion, which the English language translator William Chinnery has chosen to edit.

Full title: 'Mariae Sibillae Merian Dissertatio de generatione et metamorphosibus insectorum Surinamensium: in quâ, praeter vermes & erucas Surinamenses, earumque admirandam metamorphosin, plantae, flores & fructus, quibus vescuntur, & in quibus fuerunt inventae, exhibentur : his adjunguntur bufones, lacerti, serpentes, araneae, aliaque admiranda istius regionis animalcula'