Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-04-09
THE RESURRECTION FLOWER.

none is more truly extraordinary than that
which is termed the Resurrection Flower, a
specimen of which has been recently brought
to this country from the East by Dr. | Deck.
From Professor Toney we learn, that al
though the flower is very rare indeed every
where, and has been but seldom seen in this
country, yet Bishop Wainwright procured
two while he was travelling in Egypt,
and DR.. Torrey himself possesses speci-
men. The history the flower possessed by
DR.. Deck he states as follows:
More than eight years 60, while on pro-
fessional engagement in exploring some lost
emerald and copper mines in upper Egypt, he
was of medical service to an Arab, who in
return, presented him stem on which were
two seemingly dried up seed-vessels of some
plant He assured me that, many years pre-
viously, the treasure had been taken from an
Egyptian mummy, a female high-priestess,
and was esteemed a great rarity, as few had
been obtained in the last century. The
Doctor was further informed that if properly
cared for the flower would never decay. Of
the truth Of its being discovered on the
breast of an Egyptian priestess there are
many doubts, for the Arabs are proverbial
for exageration; but that it will, comparative
ly speaking, never decay if properly cared
for, seems to be confirmed by the extraordi-
nary fact that, for more than eight years, it
has accompanied DR.. Deck in all his wan
derings, has been displayed and expanded to
the gaze Of the curious more than thousand
times without any diminution of its extraor-
dinary properties, has been examined by some
of the most eminent philosophers and trav-
elers III this country and Europe, and as yet
no positive position has been assigned to it in
the botanical kingdom. Baron Humboldt,
to whom DR.. Deck presented the twin-how-
er, acknowledges that, in his extensive travels
in all parts of the world, he had met with
nothing like it in the vegetable kingdom, and
nothing so truly wonderful.
It's origin, its location, and the plant bear
ing it, are entirely involved in mystery
The attractive Oriental.tale of its being found
embalmed is rejected, because no similar
flower has ever been found by those wo have
had the most experience in unroling the an
cient dead, and also because there has never
been discovered anything bearing the re
motest resemblance to it upon Egyptian
sculptures. Those who are conversant with
the wonderful features of the Egyptian re-
ligion and priestcraft, know how quickly every
thing was seized upon and deifed which
could be made symbolical of their tenets,
and were thus transmitted to posterity fgur-
ed as hieroglyphics; and it is but natural to
presume that this simple flower with its
brilliant halo, so typical Of glory and resurec-
tion, would have ranked high in their my
thology.
On examining the flower in its unexpand-
ed state it resembles, both in shape and
color, dried poppy-head with the stem at
tached. Upon being immersed moment
or two in a glass of water, and set upright
in the neck of small vial, in few moments
the upper petals began to burst open, grad
ually, yet visibly to the eye; they continued
to expand until, throwing themselves back in
equidistant order, there was presented
beautiful radiated starry 6ower somewhat re-
sembling both the passion-fower and the sun
flower, and yet more splendid than either
The unfolding still continued until the petals
bent backward over what might be termed
the base of the flower, presenting in its
center its rosette of the most exquisite
form and ornamentaton, and thus assuming
new charm, entirely eclipsing what a mo-
ment before seemed its absolute perfection.
The drawings were made at the moment
when the flower presented the places illus
trated; the language and artistic skill can
but feebly portray this extraordinary speci-
men Of the floral kingdom. After remain
ing open for an hour or more, the moisture
gradually dissipates itself, and the fibers of
the flower contract as gradually as they ex-
panded, and it resumes its original appear
ance, ready to be unfolded again by the same
simple process, the number of times seeming
to be only limited by the will of the posses
sor.
DR.. Deck suggests that the flower is a ma
tive of the Holy Land, and is type or va
riety Of the long-lost Rose of Jericho, called
also the "Rose Of Sharon" and the "Star of
Bethlehem" and highly venerated for its
rarity and peculiar properties by the pilgrims
and Crusaders, and eagerly sought after by
them as priceless emblem of their zeal and
pilgrimage, and worn on their escutcheons in
similar manner as a scolop-shel and palm
branch. This idea is strengthened by the
fact, that resembances of the flower both
open and closed, arc sculptured upon tombs
of two of the Crusaders hurled i'm the Tenn