318 The Resurrection Flower. [July, 



THE BESURRECTIOK FLO^WER. 



The following account of a floral wonder we gather from " Harper's Magazine." 

 Among the curiosities of the floral kingdom, none is more truly extra- 

 ordinary than that which is termed the Eesurrection Flower, a specimen 

 of which has been recently brought to this country from the East, by 

 Dr. I. Deck. From Professor Torrey we learn, that although the flower 

 is very rare indeed everywhere, and has been but seldom seen in this 

 country, yet Bishop Wainwright procured two while he was traveling in 

 Egypt, and Dr. Torrey himself possesses a specimen. The history of the 

 flower possessed by Dr. Deck he states as follows : " More than eight years 

 ago, while on a professional 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 a stem, on which were two seemingly dried 

 up seed-vessels of some plant. He was assured that, many years pre- 

 viously, the treasure had been taken from an Egyptian mummy, a female 

 high-priestess, and was a great rarity, as few had been obtained in the 

 last century. The Doctor was farther 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 aie many doubts, for the 

 Arabs are proverbial for exaggeration ; but that it will, comparatively 

 speaking, never decay if properly cared for, seems to be confirmed by the 

 extraoidinary fact, that for more than eight years it has accompanied 

 Dr. Deck in all his wanderings, has been displayed and expanded to the 

 gaze of the curious more than a thousand times, without any diminution 

 of its extraordinary properties, has been examined by some of the most 

 eminent philosophers and travelers, of this country and of Europe, and 

 yet no positive position has been assigned to it in the botanical kingdom. 

 Baron Humboldt, to whom Dr. Deck presented the twin flower, acknowl- 

 edges, 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. 



" Its origin, its location, and the plant bearing it, are entirely involved 

 in mystery. The attractive Oriental tale of its being found embalmed 

 is rejected, because no similar flower has been f.und by those who have 

 had the most experience in unrolling the ancient dead, and also because 

 there has never been discovered anything bearing the remotest resem- 

 blance to it upon Egyptian sculptures. Those who are conversant with 

 the wonderful features of the Egyptian religion and priestcraft, know 



