rose of jericho
Noun 1. A small desert plant known for its ability to survive extreme dryness: The Rose of Jericho is a small, greyish plant native to arid regions of Asia and North Africa. It is famous for its remarkable survival strategy: when dry, its stems curl tightly into a ball, appearing dead. When exposed to moisture, it unfurls, expands, and turns green, appearing to "resurrect." 2. A fern ally with similar resurrection properties: This name also refers to a different, densely tufted plant found from the southwestern United States to Peru. It exhibits the same characteristic of curling into a tight ball when dry and unfurling when moist.
- The Rose of Jericho is often called the "resurrection plant" due to its dramatic response to water.
- After the rare desert rain, the dried Rose of Jericho on the ground began to open and turn green.
- She keeps a Rose of Jericho on her desk; it's fascinating to watch it come back to life when she waters it.
- Symbolic Use: The Rose of Jericho is frequently used as a metaphor or symbol for resilience, renewal, and rebirth because of its ability to seemingly return to life from a desiccated state.
- Their love was like a Rose of Jericho, dormant for years but blooming again when they reunited.
- Resurrection plant: A common name for the Rose of Jericho and other plants with similar abilities.
- : The scientific name for the plant from the Americas often called the Rose of Jericho.
- : The scientific name for the Asiatic desert plant known as the Rose of Jericho.
- Resurrection plant
- Dinosaur plant (a common name for )
The term "Rose of Jericho" refers to two distinct plant species that are not closely related but share the same common name due to their nearly identical "resurrection" behavior. The key difference is their geographic origin: one (Anastatica) is from Asia/North Africa, and the other (Selaginella) is from the Americas. In general usage, the name emphasizes the plant's unique survival adaptation rather than its specific botanical classification.
- small grey Asiatic desert plant bearing minute white flowers that rolls up when dry and expands when moist
- densely tufted fern ally of southwestern United States to Peru; curls up in a tight ball when dry and expands and grows under moist conditions