Resurrection plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, is a spikemoss, a fern ally of the family Selaginellaceae, native to the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and Mexico. It survives extreme drought by curling into a tight, apparently dead brown ball that can remain dormant for years, only to unfurl and turn green again within hours of rehydration, a trait that has made it a popular novelty plant sold dried and revived by the buyer at home.
Facts
Classification
DietPhotosynthetic Autotroph 1 System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Living or Extinct Scientific NameSelaginella lepidophylla 3 Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Selaginella lepidophylla
In Biome
Desert, Biomes Source Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla
In Ecosystem
Source Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Selaginella lepidophylla
WikipediaArticle text
If rehydrated, it continues its life cycle, fully recovering its photosynthesis and growth abilities.
system statement
Lycopodium lepidophyllum), also known as a resurrection plant and sometimes as the rose of Jericho (although distinct from the true rose of Jericho) is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family (Selaginellaceae).
Human use: used-in-traditional-medicine
Selaginella lepidophylla has been used as a herbal medicine.
In Biome: Desert, habitat statement
It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert of the United States and Mexico.
In Ecosystem: Chihuahuan Desert, Distribution and habitat
It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert of the United States and Mexico.
View the Source 2. Resurrection plant (Wikipedia)
3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Selaginella lepidophylla
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyTaxon recordQuote, Taxon record
"canonicalName": "Selaginella lepidophylla"
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