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Resurrection plant Facts

Resurrection plant Facts
Resurrection plant is seedless vascular plant that belongs to the spike moss family. It can be found in the USA, Mexico and Central America. Resurrection plant belongs to the group of plants called lycopods. Unlike any other member of this group, resurrection plant is able to survive in dry deserts (such as Sonoran and Chihuahuan desert), arid regions and rocky outcrops, usually surrounded with cacti and other species of plants that are typical for dry areas. Resurrection plant is often collected from the wild and sold to tourists that come to visit Mexico and south-western parts of the USA.
Interesting Resurrection plant Facts:
Resurrection plant produces few stems that grow close to the ground. Entire plant has diameter of less than 1 feet.
Resurrection plant has scaly stems arranged in the form of rosette.
Resurrection plant is primitive plant that can be placed between the mosses and ferns (in the evolutionary terms).
Resurrection plant does not have leaves. Instead of leaves, it has small, juniper-like, scaly extensions of the stem.
Resurrection plant uses root to extract water and nutrients from the ground.
Resurrection plant quickly absorbs moist after the rainfall and enters the phase of rapid growth. Since it cannot accumulate water in the stem and root, it dries out shortly after drying of the soil and curls into a tight ball with small amount of water stored in the center. Curled in a ball, resurrection plant appears dead, but it is actually only dormant. Metabolic activities are reduced to minimum during the period of dormancy that can last few years (until the next rain).
Resurrection plant is able to rehydrate, unfold its stems and reactive its metabolism only few hours after the exposure to the moisture. Its ability to "revive" is the reason why it is called resurrection plant.
Swelling of the cells after absorption of the water leads to unfolding of the stem. This happens even if the cells don't have live protoplast inside them.
Resurrection plant is also known as "Siempre Viva", which means "everlasting".
Resurrection plant does not produce flowers, fruit and seed.
Resurrection plant reproduces sexually via spores produced in the club-like structures called strobili.
Resurrection plant appeared on the planet 400 million years ago. Majority of ancient lycopods were giant trees, but they all became extinct as a result of climate changes. Small lycopods, such as resurrection plant, managed to survive 'till the modern days, without any changes in the morphology.
Since resurrection plant lived side by side with dinosaurs, it is also known as "Dinosaur plant".
Tea made of resurrection plant has antimicrobial properties and it can be used in treatment of common cold and sore throat.
Resurrection plant is long-lived perennial plant.


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