common name for two plants belonging to different families in the plant kingdom. One, an annual desert plant ( Anastatica hierochuntica ) of the family Cruciferae ( mustard family), is native to Asia Minor. It is a resurrection plant . The branches curl into a ball at maturity, after which the plant, in its native habitat, is blown about by the wind and the seeds are dispersed. The other, Odontospermum pygmaeum, is native to the same region and also called rose of Jericho because of its similar properties. It is a member of the family Asteraceae ( aster family). Both families are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida. The Cruciferae is in the order Capparales, and the Asteraceae is in the order Asterales.
