Rose of Jericho Spikemoss
The rose of Jericho (Selaginella lepidophylla) is a desert spikemoss of the Chihuahuan Desert that curls into a dry brown ball when it dries out and unfurls and turns green again within hours of being watered. It is one of the best-known resurrection plants.
The rose of Jericho (Selaginella lepidophylla) is a desert spikemoss of the Chihuahuan Desert that curls into a dry brown ball when it dries out and unfurls and turns green again within hours of being watered. It is one of the best-known resurrection plants.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Rose of Jericho Spikemoss in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Diaphoretickes lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Coming Back From Dryness: How Is It Possible?
As water is lost, the plant accumulates sugars such as trehalose and protective proteins that preserve its cell structures in a glassy state. The branches curl inward to protect the growing tips. On rewetting, the cells recover and photosynthesis resumes.
Living Desert Souvenir
The dried ball can be kept for years and revived in a dish of water, which has made it a popular curiosity. The plant is a lycophyte, not a true rose.
Lessons for Crops
Understanding how resurrection plants tolerate drought is useful for engineering drought-resistant crops. See Welwitschia.
Rose of Jericho Spikemoss at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Selaginella lepidophylla |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Lycopodiopsida |
| Order | Selaginellales |
| Family | Selaginellaceae |
| Field Guide group | Diaphoretickes: Plants & Algae |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Desert 'resurrection plant' that curls into a dry brown ball for years, then unrolls green within hours of rain. |
| Group | Lycophytes |
| Protective sugar | Trehalose |