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Dinosaur Plant

seedjar

Let's positive thinking!
So, I've been interested in these so-called Dinosaur plants offered by DuneCraft, inc., but I'm not sure I want to buy one from them. They don't mention what it actually is, and although they provide detailed care instructions, there's no indication of how to propagate them. I'd like to learn more about them, particularly how to multiply them, as propagating plants is probably my favorite part of keeping them. I'm going to do some digging myself, but I figured someone here might know already.
Thanks,
~Joe
 
Ohhh! I've seen that before. It's the resurrection plant. I saw it sold in Chase Pitkin before. Rose of Jeriko is how I remember it, or however you spell it. I've looked it up on gardenweb.com and it's either Selagenlla lepidophylla or Anastatica hierochuntica as a member says in a post. I think it's a really awesome plant.

Wikipedia article on it

-Ben
 
Thanks Ben. I find organisms with extended dormancies to be fascinating - such an elegant, novel survival technique. I wonder what other types of plants there are like this...
~Joe
 
Since ya asked, the Welwitschia.
smile_n_32.gif
Well, it's not actually a dormancy, but it lives a long time.

-Ben
 
wow...weird plant ben....one of the wierdest ive ever seen!
 
Here in Gainesville, Fl all the live oak trees are covered with resurrection fern. There is a huge tree covered with it next to my apartment and after it rains it becomes very green and beautiful. Most of the year it is brown though. It is very neat to see all the green after it rains.
-Nick
 
I'm also thinking of getting one of these plants. Nick, is the tree in a lot of light, or is it in shade? I want to know how much light to give one of these guys.

EDIT: wait a sec, i did a google search on resurrection fern, and it's actually a fern, Polypodium polypodioides. I think we're talkin about something different?

-Ben
 
I had several of those back when I was a kid. They were fun but never lasted long for me. I think (my hindsight is 20/20
smile_n_32.gif
) that it was due to minerals in the tap water which were left behind on the leaves as the water evaporated. Eventually the leaves were coated with a mineral crust and the plants died.
 
I guess that means we should use distilled water.

-Ben
 
  • #10
It's Seleginella lepidophylla. I have never managed to keep one of these alive. They tend to rot if wet and crumble up when dry. Even when grown without a pot. They grow alongside Pinguicula gypsicola and other Pinguicula in seasonally dry places the wild incidentally. (A nice few pics here - scroll down toward the bottom).

I suspect that most offered in cultivation are mostly dead before you even get them, as the plants I have had have never turned the lovely fresh green colour they are meant to.
 
  • #11
I have had one for about 6 years. The trick is to put it in a shallow bowl with water, let it suck the water up so it gets green and than don't water it again! If you keep it wet it will rot. The plant is "made" to grow during the rain and very shortly afterward start to dry out for at least 6 months.

Marcel
 
  • #12
Selaginella lepidophylla, though sometimes mis-identified as Selaginella pilifera, is a native of New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mexico like S. pilifera but is a different appearing species. While I have tried this plant I believe the issue with growing it is that no one really knows how! But looking at its habitat and understanding the type of climate that the areas of occurrence have may provide some clue to some measure of success.
One British site I ran across recommends soaking only the top of the plant and not the "roots" (these are actually rhizoids.) This makes alot of sense. What also makes sense is planting these babies in granitic gravel with possibly some sand and some acid plant mix-guessing by volume: 70% gravel, 20% sand, 10% acid plant mix. Get the sand and soil mix damp before mixing into the gravel. Find a clay pot just large enough for the plant to sit in and have a little room to pour in the gravel mix. Hold the plant so the rhizoids are just below the lip of the pot and pour in the gravel mix and pack in with a dowel and pour in to fill to the brim of the pot. Do not water EVER. Instead using either rain, distilled, or r/o water in a spray bottle just LIGHTLY spray a coarse mist on the plant leaves. and sit in a shaded spot. Keep your spraying to only two or three times a month during summer in the northern hemisphere and either not at all in fall, spring , or winter or perhaps once a month.
What you want to get is some of the leaves to uncurl. What you expect is that new rhizoids will form from whatever leaves uncurl. The old rhizoids are dead so do not expect them to soak up water as they are not roots, and only serve to hold the plant in place. All water absorption is done by the leaves.
So don't push the plant and maybe it just might make it. Please note I am only guessing at this time and hope to try this method out in the near future. For plants check out eBay.
 
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  • #13
I'm quite sure that is a "resurrection fern", believe it or not I've actually killed one before! LOL
 
  • #14
this thread was resurrected as well! check the date from the last message posted.
 
  • #15
Well, since it WAS resurrected.....

This is a plant I have been thinking about alot, and wish to try to grow some. the advice posted above runs true with what I've been thinking. I bet it would grow with Drosophyllum.

If anyone has a trusted source, let me know. I got some online, and they were all brown and dead when I got them.

Andrew, do you have any??
 
  • #16
I got some resurrection fern (Pleopeltis) in a trade recently and am in the process of getting it acclimated. I think it doesn't appreciate my cool nights; I'm going to move it in with my lowlanders when I can. Still looking for Seleginella.
~Joe
 
  • #17
Is there a specific Selaginella species you want?
There is a family run greenhouse near me that caries small terrarium plants they call them "Fairy garden plants" and have a couple species of Selaginella, babies tears, etc. I can PM some pics and you can let me know if it's what you're looking for and send you some when the weather is good in month or so.

I can also get you tiny stone bridges, staircases, and castle towers... :D
 
  • #18
I do believe it will be Selaginella lepidophylla for us both. :D
 
  • #19
Most of their stock isn't specifically named. Just "Selaginella" with several obviously dif species to choose from.

There are a number of ferny leaved species if you google it but possibly only the lepidophylla will dry up and come back?
 
  • #20
Correct. There are lots of Selaginella, but 99% of them are just ferns.
 
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