resurrection plant

American  

noun

1. a desert plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, occurring from Texas to South America, having stems that curl inward when dry.

2. rose of Jericho.

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resurrection plant British  

noun

1. any of several unrelated desert plants that form a tight ball when dry and unfold and bloom when moistened. The best-known examples are the crucifer Anastatica hierochuntica (also called rose of Jericho ), club mosses of the genus Selaginella , and the composite Asteriscus pygmoeus

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Etymology

Origin of resurrection plant

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

Its formula features cell extracts from three different African resurrection plants.

From Los Angeles Times

Understanding the genomic mechanisms of extreme desiccation tolerance in resurrection plants such as Oropetium may provide targets for engineering drought and stress tolerance in crop plants.

From Nature

We found great numbers of Opuntia Missouriensis, called by the Mexicans nopal; small mesquite shrubs, too, are seen everywhere, while the resurrection plant covers great areas, like the heather on the Scotch hills.

From Project Gutenberg