| 1. | a desert plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, occurring from Texas to South America, having stems that curl inward when dry. |
| 2. | Rose of Jericho. |
| an Asian plant, Anastatica hierochuntica, of the mustard family, which, after drying and curling up, expands when moistened. |
| resurrection plant n. See rose of Jericho. |
| rose of Jericho n. Either of two desert plants, Anastatica hierochuntica of the mustard family, native to northern Africa and southwest Asia, or Selaginella lepidophylla, a fern ally distributed from Texas and Arizona south to El Salvador. Each plant forms a tight ball when dry and unfolds and grows under moist conditions. Also called resurrection plant. |