The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-23
CruciRxien Thorn.

Arizona has a strange desert plant
that possesses that which is of keen
interest for every man, woman and
child who has ever heard the story of
the cruci6xion.
The plant lives, breathcs, gains its
s%ustcnancc from the Gun and the all
without the aid Of leaves.
There is a halo Of pious and histori.
cal interest about the plant, because
it's branches are the same as those
with which the Jesus Of Nazareth was
crowned On the heights of Cavalry.
1t is known as the sscruci6xion
thorn or, in Latin, the "crucifera
spinosa.' 1t grows but in two spots
on the carth-on the mcsas Of Salt
River Valley and in certain parts of
Palestine. The botanisti 1now but
very little about it, aside from the
fact that it is supposed to be a member
OF the uuassia family by some, while
others declare that it will yet be class
cd with the acacia group.
Pref. Bcsscy, Who occupies :hc
chaiy of botany at the Nebraska Uni
vcrsity, is making an exhaustive study
OF the rare plant, and several choice
plants have just been shipped to him
from Phoenix. These were obtained
from large bushes which grow at long
intervals on the mesa to a height of
from II to Is feet. The Mcxicans
know it az the "l'alo Christie" and
the Catholic Churches in Southern
Arizona are always decorated with the
thorny branches at Eastcrtime.
Prof. Desscy mas made cross sec
tons out of previous specimens sent
to him from Phoenix, and his owl.
language is hat these sections dis
close a very rare and wonderful plan.
Of which the botanical world knows
but very little
The bushes, as seen on the desert
not far from Phoenix. have q most for
bidding appearance. Oniy their re-
markable oddly attracts ones attcn-
ton. All Of the plants Of the desert
have something to attract one to them,
and offer Il certain picturesqucncss and
beauty, either Of form or color, to the
cyc-all of them except this bush of
wickcd-looking thorns. The bushes
arc all thorns. and nothing but thorns,
and their wound is cruel and lasting,
for there is said to be Il poison lurking
in the tip of them. The poison is not
deadly, ior even dangerous, but trou-
blcsomc and painful, and most pros
pcctors would athcr run into a charge
of buckshot than into a ''crucifixion
thorn bush
During 10 months Of the year the
limbs Of the bush arc absolutely bare,
except for its thorns. These arc from
one to three inches in length, sharp as
needles and fully as hard and strong,
only they are thicker at the base and
taper very gradually to the point of
disappearance. Fairly in the spring
the ''paIo christie puts forth II tiny
green blossom, which soon ripens into
clusters Of small, ycllowish berries.
These arc the seed of the "cruci6x-
ion plants. r.
The most remarkable thing about
these bushes is that they are supposed
to take in their %sustcnancc through
the enthusiastically fine, stccl-likc ends
of the thorns. And, though the
thorns are very plentiful, yet the feed
ing and breathing points must be so
very small that n can easily realize
why the plant has such a barren and
unhealthy appearance At its best,
when water, sunshine and good soil
arc at the maximum and all the other
trees and flowers in the valley are a
cure for weary eyes to look unon, the
crucitxion thorn seems to be a poor,
half-starvcd thing.-San Francisco
CuU.