Fly Agaric (Agaricus muscarius)

The fly agaric as a wall plate: red cap, blank paper. Agaricus muscarius in three states — young, mature and sectioned — plate 286 of Coloured Figures of English Fungi (1803). Sowerby draws and hand-colours himself: the red cap floats on blank paper, no text block, the ideal wall plate.

Plate from the virtual exhibition Wondrous Flora (Trace Museum, 1705-1887).