The Cowmanthemum

In my last blog post I made a video (click here to see video) that made reference to what I thought to be an imaginary creature...the Cowmanthemum.  I have received a number of queries about this creature and have found out that it did in fact exist., although very rare. 

Here is one of the only photographs of the flowery bovine, taken in 1911 by a Zachariah B. Cribboltz of Fester's Butte Iowa:

He later stated:

"I 'member that day, sittin' by the river.  I smelled somethin'...unusual.  Not quite pleasant, not quite unpleasant.  It was like a bouquet of flowers in a cow pie.  Then I saw it... in glorious yella and black."

Cribboltz managed to capture what came to be know as the Cowmanthemum and later sold the beast to a French cheese maker, name Philippe Bourdon.     

The Cowmanthemum's floral scented cheese was quite the rave in elite Parisian circles.  Customers would frequent the likes of le Dome and nosh the freshly cut cheese.

Then tragedy struck...

  On May 12th 1912, aphids by the millions attacked vegetation throughout the French countryside.  This would be infamously known as "Aphid Tuesday".  

Millions of flowers dead by the end of the day...but there was yet another casualty...

The Cowmantheum.

Thousands attended the funeral....  

but only one flower was present...that of the floral bovine.

Believe it...

or 

Not