Queen of the Night or Rose Easter Lily Cactus

This is a watercolor of Echinopsis leucantha, a species of cactus native to Argentina. It is referred to by the common names Queen of the Night or Rose Easter Lily Cactus. This illustration is by noted botanical illustrator Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961). Born in England and formally trained in art, Eaton began illustrating natural subjects while visiting family in Jamaica. She moved to New York in 1911 where she became the principal illustrator for The New York Botanical Garden, producing hundreds of plates. The illustration shown here comes from her illustration work for The Cactaceae by Britton & Rose, a publication on cactus taxonomy that is still considered an important scientific work today. Hundreds of Eaton’s works are part of the collections of the The New York Botanical Garden, the National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Plate Number: 1801
Publication: The Cactaceae Vol. 3 Pl. 7, Fig. 2
Client: Britton, N.L. and Rose, J.N. - Size: 11x14
Remarks: painting was framed and hanging in W417, Office of Associate Director of Research and Collections from April 2004 until November 13, 2009.
Echinopsis leucantha (Cactaceae) - Collection: Rose, J.N., Argentina, Mendoza; top of flowering plant.
Artist: Eaton, Mary Emily - 29 Oct 1915 - watercolor