42/42 | 8/5/04 8:05 PM | bg48_49

Sweet Flag (#48) and Dwarf Cat-tail (#49)  Acorus calamus and Tyha minima  perennials.
[T. minima is substituted for Tyha domingensis.]

The rhizome (underground stem) of the sweet flag, also known as aromatic cane, was used for making holy anointing oil and for special perfume. The sword-like foliage is also fragrant and during summer green flowerheads may be seen low down among the leaves.

Baby Moses was placed in a cradle in the River Nile by his mother to avoid his murder on the orders of Pharaoh. Pharaoh had put out the order to kill every son that is born to the Hebrews. The basket floated among the cat-tails, bulrushes and reeds until found by Pharaoh's daughter, who later adopted Moses as her own son.

A reference to sweet flag is Exodus 30:22-23
A reference to cat-tails, bulrushes and reeds is Exodus 2:3-5

JAlbum 4.2