Title
Bambara Groundnut, William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings
Year/Period
1803-1818
Region
Malacca, Malaysia
Material
Dimension
Image size: 37.4 x 48.4 cm (Paper),
Image size: 37.4 x 24.2 cm (Image)
Image size: 37.4 x 24.2 cm (Image)
Accession No.
1995-02795
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. G. K. Goh
This painting of Bambara Groundnut, which is also known by its scientific name of Vigna subterranea, can be found in the first volume of the the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings. The absence of fruits and flowers in this illustration reinforces the fact the plant was once used medicinally; it is mainly grown for its edible seeds today. The collection consists of 477 watercolours of flora and fauna that had been painted for William Farquhar when he was the Resident of Malacca between 1803 and 1818, before he took up the post of the first Resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823.
