Resurrection Plant
Resurrection Plant, common name for a fernlike, perennial desert plant, of the family of spike mosses, that ranges from the southwestern United States down to El Salvador. The flowerless plant has small, scalelike leaves and grows to a height of 10 cm (4 in). It requires little water to survive, but when completely deprived of moisture it contracts into a ball and may be borne by the wind. When it settles near water, it unfolds and is renewed—hence the name. In their dried-up state, resurrection plants are sometimes sold as novelties. The plant is sometimes called the rose of Jericho , just as that plant is often called the resurrection plant. Scientific classification: The resurrection plant belongs to the family Selaginellaceae. It is classified as Selaginella lepidophylla.