The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-02
a RESURRECTION PLANT.
Rare Plant Specimen Recently Found
In RrcS Creek Park.

in RocS Creek Park.
From the Washington Star
Rock Creek Park produces among
the many rare plants one which has
such interestingly peculiar faculties
that IL deserves to be called the resur-
rection plant of the West. Probably
very few of the readers of the Star are
familiar with teh reputed roses of Jeri-
cho or the resurrection plants of the
East. They are very insignificant
looking products of the vegetable king
dom. and grow i'm teh barrens of Pal
estine. Syria and Arabia. They have.
indeed. very little i'm common with our
being the Brussels sprouts or Savoy
cabbages of culinary fame, to which
family they really belong.
The plant is a short, half-woody
shrub, bearing small white flowers, and
it's leaflets grow in dense clusters and
are irregularly grouped on the spar
ingly branched stem. These leaflets
cling tenaciously TO their common sup
uort. / dry weather, or when detached
from the plant, they curl Inward, as
Stunning the shape of a closed, many
petailed flower. Whenever these leaf
lets are moistened they unroll them
selves again. take on a green hue and
seem to revive for a new start of
growth.
perstitious beliefs prevail among the
poor eastern people. The roses of Jeri-
cho have become an article of trade.
The name of roses of Jericho was prob
ably given them by the willy fakirs to
make the thing NOSE salable. The
shepherds of Palestine call IL KAT
Maryam" or the hand of Mary.
The resurrection plant of our own re-
gion. which has lately been found in
Rock Creek Park is much more in
teresting and better entitled to its
name than the one of the East. II is
| of an entirely different nature, as IL be-
longs to the class of fungi, or mush-
ROOMS, though very few people would
believe IL to be such. Undoubtedly
most mycologists are aware of the ex-
istence Of this or similar plants, but
not of its habits and peculiar charac-
teristics. In a dry state this little fun
gus is not unlike the rose of Jericho, a
rather unsightly. blackish ball, appar-
emily made up from a few leathery leaf
let's, A more complete metamorphosis
which the form of this plant can I'M
dergo In the short space of time of one
to two hours can hardly be imagined
and is a surprise to every beholder.
After being thoroughly dampened
with cold water. this ball opens and un-
folds the perfect form of a quaint eight
to twelve-pointed to star. The rays of
the star are white, dotted irregularly
with black lines. In the center is
globular prominence-gray or brown in
color-which has at the top an orifice
or mouth-shaped opening, so that one
would take IL to be a miniature star
fish. 1t is certainly remarkable that a
| fungus can stand such a continued
| twisting and turning. moistening and
| drying without suffering In form and
color. In size these stars vary from
one inch to two and a half inches. 1t
does not require very close observa-
| ton of the ground to notice these
plants in the woods. They form quite
conspicuous decorations to the green
moss, to which they are attached by
very slender rootlets. They seem TO
| flourish also in winter time. as a num-
Der of them have lately been found.