Magnolia flowers, 19th-century artwork. These are thought to be (but not confirmed as) the species Magnolia delavayi. This plant illustration is from the John Reeves Collection of botanical and zoological drawings from Canton, China. John Reeves (1774-1856) was a British naturalist and artist who travelled in China while working for the British East India Company. The drawings date from the period 1812 to 1831, and the collection is held at the Botany Library of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.