Peculiar but True by Madani
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Description
Welwitschia mirabilis
Description
An adult welwitschia consists of two leaves, a stem base and roots. That is all! Its two permanent leaves are unique in the plant kingdom. They are the original leaves from when the plant was a seedling, and they just continue to grow and are never shed. They are leathery, broad, strap-shaped and they lie on the ground becoming torn to ribbons and tattered with age. The stem is low, woody, hollowed-out, obconical in shape and sturdy. It grows to about 500 mm in height. The largest recorded specimen is in the Messum Mountains and is 1.8 m high, and another on the Welwitschia Flats near the Swakop River is 1.2 m tall and 8.7 m wide. Carbon dating tells us that on average, welwitschias are 500-600 years old, although some of the larger specimens are thought to be 2000 years old. Their estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years. Growth occurs annually during the summer months.
Distribution
Welwitschia mirabilis grows in isolated communities in the Namib Desert, in a narrow strip, about 1 000 km along up the coast from the Kuiseb River in central Namibia to Mossamedes in southern Angola. The plants are seldom found more than 100 to 150 km from the coast, and their distribution coincides with the fog belt. Welwitschia is still common in its habitat and shows variability, which is a sign that it is far from extinction. They are neither endangered nor rare, nevertheless they are protected by law.
Comments (12)
ledwolorz
Fantastic photo.
Levemark
Excellent!
artaddict2
Interesting shot and information!
Alz2008
Wonderful capture, Excellent well done..
neoexcello
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing that.
efron_241
thanks for this FASINATING story about a plant i had never heard off it seems nothing eats it
drace68
Fantastic plant. I suspect they are able to get enough moisture from the fogs, yes? And how deep do the roots go? Questions, questions. Thank you for bringing this most different plant to our attention.
Meisiekind
Oh, the beloved Welwitchia. I feel priviledged to have seen many of them personally before. Fascinating plant and lovely capture Adam! :)
auntietk
Fascinating! I'd never heard of this before.
durleybeachbum
Extraordinary,and so interesting!
MrsLubner
An incredible plant. If I'd seen it I wouldn't have given it any notice, thinking it was a dying plant in the sun. Your capture really brings it back to life. :-)
mermaid
wonderful shot of this special plant!