STUDIO Botanica is holding its third exhibition of botanical illustrations, on show at King's Manor, Exhibition Square, York, until June 3.

This exhibition group was founded in January 2003 to promote interest in botanical illustration, the medium of identification, analysis and classification of plants for many centuries.

The illustration stands as a substitute for the plant itself, which is ephemeral, fragile and often unable to survive removal from its original environment.

Professor John Taylor, of King's Manor, says: "The illustrator's role is to create a scientifically accurate representation of a plant or a part of a plant. This is achieved by researching a number of plants from the same species and then conducting a complete written and visual analysis to establish the structure and appearance of a typical specimen. This process can take weeks, or even months, to complete.

"Although botanical illustrations can be very beautiful, there is no aesthetic intention. The beauty of a botanical illustration stems from the discipline and unremitting search for the truth required in its creation."

This form of illustration contains elements of art and science in more or less equal measure. "Its practitioners tend to come from one or other of these disciplines, and the members of Studio Botanica are no exception to this rule," says Professor Taylor. Future exhibitions will, at different times, emphasise the scientific, the artistic and the historical aspects of botanical illustration.

Opening hours for the present show are 10am to 3.45pm on weekdays; admission is free.

Updated: 16:50 Thursday, May 26, 2005