Rose of Jericho - the resurrection plant
- Written by Portal Editor
A dry-looking, herbaceous tuft in the slightly dark storage room had caught our attention and so the question arose as to whether this tuft should be disposed of with the biological waste.
Brita's look spoke volumes: "No rubbish, that's my Rose of Jericho". And to get straight to the point, this dried-up, herbaceous tuft could actually be “revived” the following day simply by adding water.
Sting with Algerian singer Cheb Mami in the song "Desert Rose"
Who has not heard of the "Real Rose of Jericho", also known as the desert rose. Even musicians use the symbolism of this strange growth from the desert regions of Israel, Jordan, the Sinai and parts of North Africa in their songs, above all Sting in a duet with the Algerian singer Cheb Mami in the song "Desert Rose" or the song by the Augsburg band Backdoor Connection with the original composition "Rose in the Desert".
"Kaff Maryam" meaning "palm of the hand of Mary"
During the Crusades by returning soldiers and by pilgrims returning to Europe from the holy Christian sites, the "Rose of Jericho" also reached our latitudes. However, this plant was first mentioned in the legends about the flight of Mary and Joseph to Egypt to escape Herod's plan to murder the children after the birth of Jesus. Maria is said to have blessed the plant during the escape, which is then said to have accompanied her through the vegetation along the way during the long escape route. Even in modern Egypt, the reference to the legend of Mary and Joseph can still be seen in the naming: "Kaff Maryam" is the name of the plant there, meaning "ball of the hand of Mary". In Algeria, too, the reference to the Maria legend is still recognizable today: "Id Fatma Bint el Nabi" meaning "Hand of Fatma, daughter of the Prophet". Once again it becomes clear that modern religions almost without exception have the same origin How stupid of the proclaimers of the faith to want to claim the sole right of origin for themselves.
It is still common in many farming families today to pass on a Rose of Jericho from generation to generation in order to pass on luck and blessings to the offspring. With the onset of labor, according to an old custom of many midwives, their rose is watered by Jericho, which is said to help ease the birth. With the blossoming of the rose, the child is then born and the rose of Jericho is subsequently given to the child. The plant is also said to have a direct healing effect. So, after soaking the plant, Biduin women use its decoction to cure diseases.
A representative of the rare distribution type "Chamaechorie"
The plant grows as an annual herb, the size of which depends on how much water is available during the growing season. As a seedling, small green leaves first appear on the stems, and later small white flowers. When the growth phase is over, the plant curls up and dies. Since there is also very little root system, it is almost always uprooted by the storms in the desert and then rolls many kilometers through the desert. She gradually loses her seeds, which begin to germinate immediately after a heavy downpour. Only part of the seeds are ever released, which then begin to germinate the next time it rains. Because of this phenomenon, the real rose of Jericho is a representative of the rare distribution type "Chamaechorie", which makes it the only plant species of the genus Anastatica from the cruciferous family.
The process can be repeated as often as you like
Our dry, almost spherical bush is placed in a bowl of lukewarm water overnight. You can quickly see how the fine twigs begin to unroll and a discoloration process begins. At first it was a light grey-brown color tones, but the plant gradually turns to a rich shade of green. The next morning the discoloration process was almost complete. According to Brita's experience, the plant can now be left in water for about a week to enjoy the sight of it. In order to prevent a mold process, however, you should then take them out of the water and lay them out again to dry in the sun. A heater will of course do the same. Now the Rose of Jericho can be stored again and resurrected on Desire, hence the name Resurrection Plant, as the process can be repeated any number of times.
The term revival is actually wrong, because the plant is and remains dead. Reawakening is a physical process in which the cells become saturated with water due to capillarity. The resulting hydrostatic force causes the branches to unroll and the plant to change color. A renewed assimilation no longer takes place.
It is always amazing how plants and animals adapt to their living conditions and specialize. Similar to a modern car, the Rose of Jericho must have a "rain sensor" or else how would it know it's raining and it's time to start providing seed release again.
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