THE BABY PLANT | AdventAI

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, June 10, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 24

THE BABY PLANT.

No curiosity exhibited in this city for years has attracted such general attention as that wonderful plant at Shannahan’s art gallery. Fully three thousand people have visited the place to look upon the botanical wonder.

It is said to be indigenous to Japan. Its technical term has not been ascertained, but it is known, and appropriately so, as the “Baby Plant.”

It is of the genus lily, sometimes attaining the height of four or five feet, and blossoming semi-annually. The one of which we write is, however, not more than twelve inches in height, with leaves about six inches long and two wide.

The flower is star-shaped, having five petals of handsome brown and yellow color. The calyx encircles and protects a tiny little figure that bears an exact resemblance to a nude baby, its little arms and legs outstretched and the eyes distinctly marked.

Hovering over the diminutive form is a small canopy, angel-shaped, having extended arms and wings, and peering closely into the face of the infant. The family of plants of which the “baby” is a member produce not only the specimen on exhibition, but also give perfect imitations, if such they can be designated, of different animals, insects, and birds. Mrs. Mark Hopkins, of San Francisco, has one of the latter varieties for which $300 was paid.—Oregon Standard (Portland).