Butcher's broom (Rucus aculeatus L.): entire flowering plant with separate berry and immature fruit. Coloured etching by M. Bouchard, 1772.

Butcher's broom is also known as pettigree or kneeholm

The leaves of Butcher's broom were formerly used to decorate meat, the young shoots are eaten and a decoction of the cladodes used in medicine

[Romae (Rome)] : [Bouchard et Gravier], [1772]

1 print : etching, with watercolour ; platemark 36.5 x 22.7 cm

Ruscus latifolius, fructu folio innascente. T.79. Ital. Lauro Alessandrino. - Gall. Laurier Alexandrin. Magdalena Bouchard sculpsit

Wellcome Collection 16591i