Vegetable Lamb of Tartary
The Vegetable Lamb in a 17th century illustration
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary is a mythical plant used by medieval thinkers to explain the existence of an imported fabric: cotton. It was known under various other names including the Sythian Lamb, the Borometz, and the Borametz.
The plant was believed to grow sheep as its fruit.
External links
- www.nal.usda.gov Legend of the Lamb-Plant
- www.pantheon.org Vegetable Lamb
Categories: Historical stubs