''Anastatica'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus of plants in the family ''

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...

'' containing the single species ''Anastatica hierochuntica''. The plant is a small gray

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

herb that rarely grows above high, and bears minute white flowers. It is a

tumbleweed A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that, once mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind. In most such species, the tumble ...

page 359 pages 36-37 pages 204-205 capable of hygroscopic expansion and retraction. However, it is not a true

resurrection plant A resurrection plant is any poikilohydric plant that can survive extreme dehydration, even over months or years. Examples include: * ''Anastatica hierochuntica'', also known as the Rose of Jericho, a plant species native to deserts of North Africa ...

, because the plant's dead tissues do not revive and turn green. This species is not to be confused with ''

Selaginella lepidophylla ''Selaginella lepidophylla'' (syn. ''Lycopodium lepidophyllum'') is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family (Selaginellaceae). Known as a "resurrection plant", ''S. lepidophylla'' is renowned for its ability to survive almost complete ...

'', also sometimes referred to as "rose of Jericho", or "false rose of Jericho", which is a true

that can revive from a dried state and regain the processes of respiration and photosynthesis.

Names

Common names In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

include Maryam's flower, flower of St Mary, St. Mary's flower, Mary's flower, white mustard flower , and rose of Jericho.

Range

''Anastatica'' is found in arid areas in the Middle East and the Sahara Desert, including parts of North Africa and regions of Iran, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan and India.Anastatica hierochuntica in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org
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Description

A plant with great resistance to

desiccation Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. ...

, its branches have the property of contracting with dryness, remaining closed and dry for many years, reopening with

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some commercial products. Moisture also refers to the amount of water vapo ...

or contact with water, regaining all its freshness and beauty. After the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

, the plant dries up, dropping leaves and curling branches into a tight ball, and aestivates. Within the ball, the fruits remain attached and closed, protecting the seeds and preventing them from being dispersed prematurely. The seeds are very hardy and can remain dormant for years. Moistened again in a later rainy season, the ball uncurls and the plant wakes up from its dormant state, which causes the capsular fruits to open to disperse the seeds. If water is sufficient, the dispersed seeds germinate within hours. After it curls, it is easy for the wind itself to lift and drag it large distances, making them obligatory travellers through

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

s and

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s crossing the borders of various countries in Asia and disseminating their seeds for all of them. A fraction of the seeds are dispersed in the vicinity of the parent plant by raindrops hitting a spoon-like appendix on the seeds. The seeds have a sticky coat that helps them adhere to the soil, but they also may be carried downstream by surface wash. However, seeds swept downstream do not survive. The process of curling and uncurling is completely reversible and can be repeated many times. The ability of the plant to do this is attributed to the presence of

trehalose Trehalose (from Turkish '' tıgala'' – a sugar derived from insect cocoons + -ose) is a sugar consisting of two molecules of glucose. It is also known as mycose or tremalose. Some bacteria, fungi, plants and invertebrate animals synthesize it ...

, pages 121-122 a disaccharide sugar involved in several mechanisms of

cryptobiosis Cryptobiosis or anabiosis is a metabolic state of life entered by an organism in response to adverse environmental conditions such as desiccation, freezing, and oxygen deficiency. In the cryptobiotic state, all measurable metabolic processes stop ...

. Although the rehydrated plant sometimes is described as putting out new leaves, flowers, and fruits, this is disputed; instead, the seeds may sometimes germinate and sprout new plants while still seated in the fruit on the dead parent plant. ''Anastatica'' has been described as ''the most famous tumble weed''. page 83 Once dry, the ball is said to become detached and is dispersed by wind. This tumbleweed habit has been interpreted as a mechanism of avoiding burial in

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

s. However, ''Anastatica'' may possess this habit only in the literature, or tumble only rarely, if uprooted by accident. page 16

Culture

Since ancient times it was used as an element to guess the climate, since being a vegetable

hygrometer A hair tension dial hygrometer with a nonlinear scale. A hygrometer is an instrument used to measure the amount of water vapor in air, in soil, or in confined spaces. Humidity measurement instruments usually rely on measurements of some other qu ...

, the wise man or

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

, predicted it with success. In dry weather the plant remains completely closed; in wet weather, it opens slowly; if it threatens rain, it opens in a very showy way and with more or less speed according to the proximity of discharge of the clouds.

Gallery

File:Anastatica_hierochuntica_flower.JPG, Flowers File:Zarga_mountains_(10).jpg, Dried up File:SproutingAnastatica.jpg, In water

References