Taxon

Welwitschia mirabilis

 
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Welwitschia mirabilis - tweeblaarkanniedood, wonderplant, Welwitschia, !Kharos, n'tumbo, Nyanka, Onyanga, Khurub
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Common name: tweeblaarkanniedood, wonderplant, Welwitschia, !Kharos, n'tumbo, Nyanka, Onyanga, Khurub
Family: Welwitschiaceae
Synonym: Tumboa bainesii, Tumboa strobilifera, Welwitschia bainesii
Distribution: Angola, Namibia
Habitat: Namib Desert
IUCN Red list: Not evaluated
Life form: Perennial plant
Comments: Welwitschia mirabilis is a lonely gymnosperm strewn across the Namib desert in isolated pockets never further than 150km from the coastline. This species is the only surviving member of its family – Welwitschiaceae. Before flowering plants evolved, gymnosperms dominated the land. Fossils show us that the Welwitschiaceae family was present in South America during this time. W. mirabilis is an extremely tough plant which is why it has outlived its family and other gymnosperms formerly present in this region. It consists of a deep taproot, a short woody stem, and two tough, leathery leaves. These leaves are the only ones ever produced by the plant, and grow continuously throughout its life, being shredded to ribbons by the harsh desert winds. Radiocarbon dating has been used to determine that the average plant is between 500 and 600 years old, but the oldest specimen could be 2000 years old. This stump, donated to the garden by Mr Archie Nel of Okahandja in 1977, is estimated to be about 1000 years old. The biggest plant in front of you is the oldest cultivated Welwitschia in the world, planted in 1926 by the Botanical Garden’s first curator, Hans Herre. Seeds were given to Herre by Marloth.
Links: Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin • Discover.hubpages.com • Guardian article on the world's oldest organisms • iNaturalist.org • SANBI PlantZAfrica • Welwitschia mirabilis cultivation, Washington State University article • Wikipedia

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