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Selaginella bryopteris (L.) Baker, J. Bot. 22: 376 (1884) (syn: Lycopodium bryopteris L.; Lycopodium circinale L. ; Lycopodium imbricatum Roxb. ; Lycopodioides bryopteris (L.) Kuntze; Selaginella imbricata J.Scott ; Selaginella imbricata var. erecta J.Scott ; Stachygynandrum bryopteris (L.) P.Beauv.; Stachygynandrum circinale (L.) P.Beauv.);
Flora of Madhya Pradesh: Selaginella sp from Forest area Narsinghpur (MP): I have known from various sources that Sanjivani is most likely Selaginella bryopteris. It is often sold in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. It would be interesting to know name of the above plant. Thanks for the inputs Sir. I think this is same as sold in Chandni chowk. Is it possible to identify these images from Forest area Narsinghpur (Madhya Pradesh), Central India? This is the very distinctive Selaginella bryopteris. It is frequently sold in country bazaars (and in Shillong main street) as being Sanjeevani. However I published a paper on Sanjeevani saying that the evidence was much more likely that Sanjeevani was actually S. tamariscina, growing very rarely, only in Pithoragarh (Tawaghat) near to the ancient Vedic town there. Otherwise, as we see, S. bryopteris is common in South and Central India, so why did Lord Hanuman have to go all the way up to the Himalaya to collect it, when Laxmana urgently needed help for his severe wounds. He could have brought it in 10 minutes from South India, but he had to go all the way up to Uttarakhand, the only place in India (and a very limited area) where the resurrection species, S. tamariscina grows.
Also from Chinese medicinal study S. tamariscina contains compounds that alleviate haemorrhage, which must be relevant! If only Ramdev ji had just picked up the Indian Fern Journal and read my paper he could have collected real Sanjeevani free of charge and without requiring huge Government grants, from the locality I mentioned. But thats not what hes about, I suspect!
This fern (I think it is!) in the dry state was sold in a market in Gurgaon, with the sales pitch that if soaked in water for sometime it would become green. A green specimen was also put on display which was spectacular!
So it was bought and after overnight soaking in water, it became green like in the picture!
Would appreciate if someone could id this fern and provide any information about this plant. It is Selaginella bryopteris. In my region it is known as Bhataila chara. Bhatalia means wild rabbit and chara means fodder. It is much liked by them. According to the Traditional Healersm wild animals consume it for special purpose other than food. Yesterday I was in forest in search of this herb but due to leopard sitting on our way we failed to reach to the spot. It is also known as Laksman booti. In early discussion … have identied it as Sanjivani Booti. Need your advise on how to propogate this plant. I was told that this would be fine if kept in a vase, with water changed periodically every week.
But I have found that the sanjeevani plant dries up pretty soon. I have to work towards reviving it-very often which is tiresome!
So can I repot it in soil? Will it survive in soil or water? How do I take care of it?
Looking forward to your response Normally it is growing as lithophyte in shaded forest.
But, try to make fine soil mixed with enough organic. collect sporophylls and put on this and give green house effect .
other ways, if you have the chance to collect live plants, put on the surface of humus organified soil and keep the plant as erect with clips in full shaded condition.
Dont think, died plant will start to grow. This plant has the capacity to regain the green color even after death when comes to contact with water. And I thank you too, … for the information. Pteridophytes was unfortunately never taught as a “serious” subject to me- and I missed out on all the interesting features of this group. This I have also come across this dry fern being sold in BBD Bagh (main office area) in Kolkata. A tribal who was selling it had a basket full containing 50 – 100 plants. He had a sample of the fresh, green fern kept inside a bottle full of water. I also bought one and was told to keep it imersed in water for 24 hrs. The next morning it had turned a living green colour as in Janaki’s pix.
I have also seen this fern at a exhibition on Ayurvedic plants by WB Forest Dept. As soon as I can hunt out info from my data file, I will get back. I seem to remember reading that it is found in tribal forest areas of Chhota-Nagpur, Jharkhand. But not sure. Selaginella sps ? Spikemoss. Selaginella, a genus of about 700 sps in family Selaginellaceae. It could be S. bryopteris, Sanjeevani, found in India.
There are many sps of Selaginella found in arid regions, which are known as “resurrection plants”. In dry times they contract, curling up into tight, brownish balls, turning green again when moisture is available, as discovered by …
They appear to be ferns at 1st look, but are from division (phyllum ) Lycopodiophyta. Ferns are from the division Pteridophyta.
For more details refer to : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selaginella. .
Got this photograph on a visit to Tryambakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra State on 16 January 2010.
The vendor claimed it to be “Sanjeevani Butti” and that it would have magical healing properties and it was the same as the one picked up by Hanuman. All taken in good spirit, of course.
Can anyone fill me in on the story? pl refer to the earlier discussion on this matter on ITP. I have seen this routinely being sold on the streets in Mumbai. The sprigs look dry, but once they are put them in water they turn green again.
I didn’t know they were sold as having medicinal properties and assumed it was for ornamental purposes. This is Selaginella bryopteris btw. It has microphylls whereas Chelianthes has proper fronds with sorus on the margin on lower side. the herb which is commonly sold as Sanjeevani is Selaginella bryopteris (L.) Bak recently i observed growing them abundantly on the rocky areas in Bihar. . Scientists trying to identify ’sanjivani’ herb – indiantreepix | Google Groups: Till we discover the real one the name Sanjeevani will go with Selaginella bryopteris, the resurrection plant. Last year I found it being sold in Chandani Chowk area of Delhi. Many herbs are known as Sanjivani in Central India. Just wanted to let you know that the picture available on your link is not Azolla but some species Selaginella itself may be species is ‘bryopteris’. Yes, … is right. that plant is S.bryopteris
Yes … This was the plant also selling in Chandani Chowk Delhi and it surely is Selaginella bryopteris and not Azolla. I brought the dried plant home, A similar but much robust species Selaginella jacquemontii grows on rocky cliffs in Kashmir valley. It can also resist drought considerably. The first time we collected this plant, we thought it to be some species of Cupressus. I will try to change “Azolla” into Selaginella if Ecoport permits me. They have intentionally banned me to make changes in my own contributions. I am raising voice through “Protest Against Ecoport” blog. Sanjivani is name also given to Cheilanthus farinosa/ C.albo-marginata in Maharashtra. And I have seen a Selaginella species on sale in Pune market under same name. The term appears to be commonly used for plants showing desiccation tolerance- (Poikilohydry) especially of homoiochlorophyllous (=that retain chlorophyll as it is) type. I haven’t seen it used so far for poikilochlorophyllous (=that retain chlorophyll is a changed nature and have to resynthesize after Can anyone give me email of Dr. P.N. Khare working on this plant? It is a news to me that is, Ceilanthus farinosa known by the name sanjeevini. I remember once seeing the photograph of Cheilanthes farinosa on the net labelled as Selaginella bryopteris. I then suggested the correction. . . References:
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