English: Rose of Jericho; False rose of Jericho; Maryam's flower; Flower of St Mary; St. Mary's flower; Mary's flower; White mustard flower.
DD:
Selaginella lepidophyllaRegion: Middle East, Sahara, North Africa, Iran, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan.
Habitat: arid areas.
Content: trehalose, a disaccharide sugar involved in several mechanisms of cryptobiosis.
Use: to guess the climate.
BotanySmall gray annual herb; up to 15 centimetres high; tumbleweed; resurrection plant, contracting with dryness, remaining closed and dry for many years, reopening with moisture or contact with water.
Stem: branches curling into a tight ball, when drought; the fruits remain attached and closed, protecting the seeds and preventing them from being dispersed prematurely.
Leaves: dropping with dryness.
Flowers: minute, white.
Seeds: very hardy and can remain dormant for years; sticky coat, adhering to the soil.