Selaginella lepidophylla

Loggerhead Rose of Jericho ( Selaginella lepidophylla )

The loggerhead Rose of Jericho ( Selaginella lepidophylla ) is a plant from the family of Moosfarngewächse ( Selaginellaceae ). It comes in the desert areas of Arizona over Texas and Mexico before to El Salvador. They belong to the poikilohydre plants ( Seasonally wet plants, so-called " resurrection plants").

" Resurrection plant "

The striking feature of this plant is that it can live very long periods (months) without water. Is there rain again, it drives within a day off again. This is due to a swelling process of Turgorzellen within the plant back (reversible hygroscopic movement). We call such plants as resurrection plants ( poikilohydre plants). This particular adaptation to very dry areas reaches the plant, by rolling up their shoots under drought. In addition, she is almost completely desiccation capable.

However, a revival they survived mostly only once, all of the following " unfoldings " are purely physical processes: although the cells still suck then by capillary full of water, and the hydrostatic stress unfolds the plant, but without the assimilation resume.

Confusion

The plant should not be confused with the Real Rose of Jericho, which is supposedly mentioned in the Book of Sirach 24:18. In Christian families, the custom to blossom on special holy days, the Rose of Jericho exists. However, it is also here, as can be read in the corresponding article to a purely physical effect. For subscription and cost reasons Selaginella lepidophylla is often imported as intentional plagiarism from Central America and sold as "Rose of Jericho ".