When we talk about hibernation, we typically mean surviving winter times. However, many organisms use hibernation to survive heat, not cold.
If you visit the Chihuahuan Desert—one of the most fascinating places on our planet for anyone interested in biodiversity—you may find one of its most resilient residents, a moss-like plant commonly known as the Resurrection Plant. Here are some remarkable and mind-boggling facts about it:
- Its actual growth period lasts only a small fraction of the year, primarily occurring during the wet months (~2-3 months per year) when conditions are optimal for growth.
- For the rest of the year, this plant remains dormant: when the rains stop, it dries out and shrinks into a tight ball that weighs only about 3% of its initial weight. So, technically, this plant turns into viable but dormant hay.
- In this dry form, it can remain dormant for up to several years, effectively suspending its growth until it receives sufficient moisture. When rehydrated, it quickly resumes growth, often in under an hour.
- This plant species arose about 250 million years ago (which makes it approximately a thousand times older than humans) and is called Selaginella lepidophylla, where Selaginella refers to selāgō—a Latin name for a type of juniper—and lepidophylla means “scaly” (from lepidus) and “leaf” (from phyllon). This name highlights the plant’s unique feature of having scaly leaves that enable it to survive in extremely dry conditions.
Thus, when you think about dormancy next time, imagine not only a bear’s den but also a hot, dry desert.