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Welwitschia mirabilis
Welwitschia has only two leaves wich grow on the base and dry at the end. Length of the leaves at this place 1,5 m.
Dry desert
Spotted on Jul 7, 2014
Submitted on Nov 18, 2015
4 Comments
Thank you so much. I feel honored.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Archer 07, more infos are to be seen at the Wikipedia Site. The following text is from a site only available in german language: The Welwitschia is one of the most famous plants in Namibia. It is regarded as a so-called "living fossil" and is about 1000 years old. Some of the Welwitschia mirabilis even reaches an age of up to 2000 years.
The "living fossil" was first discovered in 1859 by the Austrian physician and botanist Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch and named after him.
The plant is originally only found in the Namib Desert and is therefore specifically adapted to the extreme conditions. It consists of only 2 leaves, which grow throughout life and weather at the tips over the years. She has a very deep and ramified root system, whereby it can take on a very large area, the low moisture from the soil.
The living fossils are only found in the central part of the Namib Desert. To be able to admire this unique natural wonder, you will need to sign-posted Welwitschia Drive.
Very interesting plant, I have never seen one before, please tell us more about it.