The welwitschia (welwitschia mirabilis) has to be one of the most remarkable plants on the planet. On first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking that this short plant, with its stout woody stem and battered leaves, is well and truly dead.
Quite the reverse is however true. It is alive and growing in the harsh desert conditions, and the oldest living specimens of welwitschia are estimated to be between 1,500 to 2,000 years old.
The welwitschia is unique to the Namib desert, and survives the arid conditions by absorbing moisture from the fog that flows over the desert from the coast.
The Plant's Extraordinary Leaves
The moisture is taken in through millions of stomata on the surface of its large leaves, which unlike other plants, remain open during foggy weather to collect as much water as possible. During the heat of the day, the stomata are closed, to prevent water loss through evaporation.
The odd looking plant has 2 broad, strap-shaped leaves, which grow from the woody-looking stem at the centre of the plant. Unequal growth of this stem causes it to become distorted, which just adds to the overall bizarreness of this amazingly hardy plant species.
The leaves can reach up to 2 m in length, and lie on the ground, which also helps the plant's survival by keeping the surface soil cool and moist under the leaves.
The leaves are constantly battered by wind, which causes the ends to fray and split, and adds to the overall 'dead' look. However, because the leaves grow from their base, they continue to grow new leaf tissue even though the leaf tips are worn away.
The leaves are not the only part of the plant which are remarkable. Its roots can grow up to 30 m below the desert surface, and act as a firm anchor to ensure nothing will easily uproot it!
Plant Reproduction
The plant has separate male and female plants - the female plant has large cones, and the male plant has flowers. A female plant of average size may bear from 60 to 100 or even more cones. The Welwitschia female plant can produce a lot of seeds - up to 10,000 or even more.
