Rose of Jericho

Rose Of Jericho,

a plant of the natural order Cruciferoe, which grows in the sandy deserts of Arabia, on rubbish, the roofs of houses, and other such situations, in Syria and other parts of the East. It is a small, bushy, herbaceous plant, seldom more than six inches high, with small white flowers. After it has flowered, the leaves fall off, and the branches become incurved towards the center, so that the plant assumes an almost globular form, and in this state it is often blown about by the wind in the desert. When it happens to be blown into water the branches expand again, the pods open and let out the seeds (see illustrations on the following page). Numerous superstitions are connected with this plant, which is called Rosa Marioe, or the Rose of the Virgin. SEE ROSE.