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Thespesia populnea, portia tree
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Thespesia populnea, portia tree
Finished watercolour by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage across the Pacific, 1768-1771
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Media ID 8616701
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10706542
18th Century Arachnid Arachnida Araneae Arthropod Arthropoda Captain Cook Captain James Cook Cook Endeavour Eudicot Eurosid First Malvaceae Malvales Malvidae Angiospermae Dicot Dicotyledon Invertebrata Jumping Spider Magnoliophyta
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This stunning watercolour painting, created by Scottish artist Sydney Parkinson during Captain James Cook's first voyage across the Pacific Ocean between 1768 and 1771, captures the beauty of Thespesia populnea, also known as the Portia tree or the Cook's orange tree. The tree is depicted in full bloom, surrounded by various flowers from the Malvaceae family, which includes hibiscus and cotton. In the foreground, a curious jumping spider, belonging to the Araneae family and the order Araneida, can be seen perched on a branch. Jumping spiders are arachnids, a type of arthropod, characterized by their ability to leap at their prey with remarkable agility. This particular spider is most likely a member of the Salticidae family, which is the largest family of jumping spiders. The Portia tree is a flowering plant, belonging to the Eudicot clade, Angiospermae, Magnoliophyta, and the Malvales order. It is a dicot, meaning it has two seed leaves, and is native to tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The tree's vibrant orange-red flowers attract various pollinators, including insects and birds. Captain Cook and his crew encountered the Portia tree during their exploration of the South Pacific, and Sydney Parkinson's meticulous illustration provides a valuable record of this fascinating plant and its associated fauna. The painting is a testament to the natural wonders discovered during Cook's groundbreaking voyage and the artistic skill of the crew's naturalist.
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