cell damage during drying by synthesizing trehalose, a crystallized sugar that acts as a compatible solute. Dissolved salts become concentrated in the plant tissues as water evaporates. The trehalose produced by the plant acts in place of the evaporating water, so preventing the salts from causing damage and protecting against death due to an excess of salinity. S. lepidophylla also uses betaines, substances which have the same function as trehalose. Once water is restored to the plant tissues, the sugar crystals dissolve and the plant's metabolism, until then paralyzed, reactivates. Leaves that seemed dead turn green, and open. Lifestyle Desert conditions Adapted to the desert environment, Selaginella lepidophylla can survive without water for several years, drying up until it retains only 3% of its mass. The plant can live and reproduce in arid regions for long periods of time. When living conditions become too difficult, the plant's survival mechanism allows it to dry out gradually. Its leaves turn brown and fold in, giving the plant the appearance of a ball. In dormancy, all of its metabolic functions are reduced to a minimum. Prolonged drought Where drought persists, the roots may detach, allowing the plant to be carried by the wind. If it encounters moisture, Selaginella lepidophylla may rehydrate and take root in the new location. Plants that go through the resurrection process are not always able to "rise again". If dehydration has been too rapid, or in the event of irregular alternation of drought and wet conditions, the plant has insufficient time to prepare properly to resist the water stress to which it is subjected. Likewise, the ability to dry up and rehydrate may diminish, in which case, after dozens of cycles of alternate desiccation and regrowth, the plant dies. As a sporophyte, S. lepidophylla does not produce flowers or seeds but reproduces through spores. Selaginella are neither aquatic plants nor epiphytic plants. Uses Selaginella lepidophylla is sold as a novelty item, as bare root stock in its dry state, in which it may be revived with only a little water. The plant's ability to survive extreme desiccation was noted by Spanish missionaries when they reached the New World, including the area that was to become the United States. The missionaries used S. lepidophylla to demonstrate to potential native converts the concept of being reborn and convince them to abandon their native religious beliefs and traditions. Because of its properties,