Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-29

" ~
and accomplished persons. Bosio, there
fore, saw clearly that it was his duty to
give it to the world us the most MAJ vel
Gus example of the croce trionfante
hitherto discovered in forest or in field
The flower represents, he tells us, not
SO directly the cross of our Lord as the
great mysteries of his passion. 1t is u
native OF the Indies, of Peru and of New
Spain, where the Spaniarls call it 1.-THE
flower of the five woInds."
Bosio, who had never seen the flower,
described 1t, however, in his book The
description was as stupendous as was
Bosio's idea of the flower, but full of
errors. The stir, however, which his
work and the ingenious persons of Bo-
loSna caused among the botanis.s and
theologians of Italy, soon brought about
the Introduction of the plant itself, and
before the year 1925 it had established it.
self and blossomeu at Rome. its native
indian name was maracOt, but in Italy it
was usually known as the passion flower
the name which it has retained through
out Europe to this day.
Aldnus, Il man of science as we'll as n
Christian, gives very beautiful descrip-
ton of the flower, in which he shows what
investigators, religOusly inclined, may
find in it:
The nails on the top are represented so
exactly that nothing more perfect can be
imagined. They are sometimes three,
sometimes four, in number; and there is
difference of opinion as to the number
OF nails used in fastening our Lord to the
cross. In the open flower they are
twisted and marked with dark, blood like
spots. as il they had been already renewed
from the cross.
1.-The small undeveloped seed vessel mar
oil ~ hn fall or
offered to our Lord. The star form of
the half open flower may represent the
sta! OF the wise men; but the five petals,
fully opened, the five wounds. The base Of
the oNary is the column of the tagella-
tion. Inc lianents represent the scOurges
spotted with blood, and the purple circle
on them is the crown OF thorns. blood
covered. The white petals symbolic the
purity and brightness of our Lord, and
his White robe. The sub-petals, white in
side and green without, figure hope and
purity, and are sharply pointed, rs if TO
Indicate the ready eagerness with which
each one OF the faithful should embrace
and consider the mysteries of the passion.
The leaves of the whole plant are set on
sinSy, for there is one God, but are triply
divided, for there are three persons. The
plant itself would climb toward heaven,
but can not do SO without support. So
the Christian, whose nature it is to climb,
demands constant assistance Cut down,
1t readily springs up again, and whoever
holds the mysteries of the passion in his
heart can not be hurt by the evil world.
Its fruit is sweet and delicate, and the
passion of our Lord brings sweet and de-
lectalle fruit to u.s.
II is probable that the first passion
flower seen in England was not brought
from Italy, but was introduced from Vir-
ginia. AT any rate, the mcarnata, a Nir-
ginian species, is that described by John
Parkinson, one Of the earliest ENGLISH
bGtanists. Parkinson proposed to call it
ClcnatiS Nirginiana, the virgin climber:
partly with reference To the province from
which 1t came. and partly las the province
Itself had been named in honor of The
bright occidental star" Queen Eliza
beth, TIE glores Of whose reign were still
freshly remembered. But the passion
Hover has retained is Italian name dior
della Passionc) aud much of it's early
significance. Ii has been accepted, espe.
ciaiiy III recent church decoration, as n
worthy companion OF the rose and the lily
sacred symbols from tie most ancient
times.
Nearly every one has read of the IA
nous rose OF Jericho, or holy rose n low
gray ieaved annual, utterly unlike n rose
growing abllndailtly in the arid wastes of
Egypt ana elsewhere. 1t exhibits, in a
rare degree, Il hyGrometric action in lis
pr0' eSS of Reproduction During the hot
season 1t blooms freely, growing close To
the ground, bcarir. its leaves and bios
SONS upon its upper surface: when these
fall off, the stems become dry. curvip.
upward and inward until the plant be-
comes ball OF twiSs. containing lis closed
seed vessels in the center, and held to the
saud hy short, fiOerless root In this
eoAd!tfon it is readily freed by the winds.
aud blown ccIoSs the desert until i