Selaginella lepidophylla
Encyclopedia
Selaginella lepidophylla (syn. Lycopodium
lepidophyllum) is a species
of desert
plant in the spikemoss
family (Selaginellaceae). S. lepidophylla is noted for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation; during dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball and uncurl when exposed to moisture. It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert
.
Common name
s for this plant include false rose of Jericho, rose of Jericho
, resurrection plant
, resurrection moss, dinosaur plant
, siempre viva, stone flower, and doradilla.
Selaginella lepidophylla is easily confused with Anastatica: both species are resurrection plants and form tumbleweed
s, and they share the common name "rose of Jericho".
This plant is sold as a novelty item as a bare root in its dry state. It can be revived with only a little water. After wetting, the plant turns green, hence the name "resurrection plant". This use was common in the United States
as early when the Spanish Friars entered the New World, including the area that was to become the United States. They used the plant to demonstrate to the Natives the concept of being reborn.
This plant has been used as an herbal medicine. An infusion (tea) is made by steeping a tablespoon of dried material in hot water and the tea used as an antimicrobial in cases of colds and sore throat. Common names for this in Spanish include doradilla and flor de piedra.
Lycopodium
Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies...
lepidophyllum) is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
plant in the spikemoss
Spikemoss
Selaginella is a genus of plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses. Many workers still place the Selaginellales in the class Lycopodiopsida . This group of plants has for years been included in what, for convenience, was called "fern allies". S...
family (Selaginellaceae). S. lepidophylla is noted for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation; during dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball and uncurl when exposed to moisture. It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
.
Common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s for this plant include false rose of Jericho, rose of Jericho
Rose of Jericho
Anastatica is a monotypic genus with the type species Anastatica hierochuntica. The genus is a member of the family Brassicaceae , in the division Magnoliophyta of the class Magnoliopsida. The plant is a small gray annual herb that rarely grows above high, and bears minute white flowers...
, resurrection plant
Resurrection plant
A resurrection plant is any plant with the habit of reviving after seeming to be dead or of seeming to revive when being in fact dead.Examples include...
, resurrection moss, dinosaur plant
Dinosaur plant
Dinosaur plant is a common name that can refer to:*Anastatica, native to deserts of North Africa*Pallenis hierochuntica, a sunflower in a genus native to the Mediterranean*Selaginella lepidophylla, native to North America...
, siempre viva, stone flower, and doradilla.
Selaginella lepidophylla is easily confused with Anastatica: both species are resurrection plants and form tumbleweed
Tumbleweed
A tumbleweed is the above-ground part of a plant that, once mature and dry, disengages from the root and tumbles away in the wind. Usually, the tumbleweed is the entire plant apart from the roots, but in a few species it is a flower cluster. The tumbleweed habit is most common in steppe and desert...
s, and they share the common name "rose of Jericho".
Uses
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as early when the Spanish Friars entered the New World, including the area that was to become the United States. They used the plant to demonstrate to the Natives the concept of being reborn.
This plant has been used as an herbal medicine. An infusion (tea) is made by steeping a tablespoon of dried material in hot water and the tea used as an antimicrobial in cases of colds and sore throat. Common names for this in Spanish include doradilla and flor de piedra.
External links
- Selaginella lepidophylla www.eFloras.org