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Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 25 centimeters per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this extremely arid zone to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
Upon closer inspection of the leaves of "flower of stone," one can observe tiny, cone-like structures. Each cone-like structure emits spores of two different sizes. Further investigation also reveals that the roots of "flower of stone" branch only at the growing tip of the root, forming a Y-shaped structure. Consequently, "flower of stone" should be expected to possess which other characteristics?

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The presence of tiny, cone-like structures that emit spores suggests that the "flower of stone" is a type of seedless vascular plant, specifically a lycophyte, which includes spike mosses. Lycophytes are characterized by having lignified vascular tissues for water and nutrient transport and microphylls, which are small leaves with a single vein. The description of the roots branching at the growing tip forming a Y-shaped structure is also consistent with the root structure of lycophytes.

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