Unique Desert Plants in the Namib Desert
Welwitschia is a Hardy Species of Flora Found in Namibia, Africa
Aug 1, 2008
Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitschia discovered the unusual desert plant in 1860 and it was named after him in recognition of his research.
Earlier than that, indigenous peoples used the core of the Welwitschia female plant as food - baking it in hot ashes or eating it raw. Welwitschia is referred to locally as 'Tumboa' or 'N'Tumbo' in Angola, 'Onyanga' by the Herero people (meaning 'Onion of the Desert') or Tweeblaarkanniedood in Afrikaans (meaning 'Two Leaves that Cannot Die').
Description and Characteristics of Welwitschia
Welwitschia Mirabilis comprises of only two leaves that continue to grow from a seedling throughout its life. These leaves are leathery, broad and lie along the ground. In time the two leaves become shredded and tattered by the wind, eventually making the plant look as if it has many frayed leaves.
Welwitschia is gymnosperm (gymno = naked) (sperma = seeds) and this refers to the condition of the seeds not being enclosed within the ovule as with flowering plants. Other examples of gymnosperm plants are Cycads, Yews and Conifers.
Welwitschia is thought to be a species of desert flora that is a living relic from the Jurassic period when gymnosperms were the dominant land plants in the age of dinosaurs. Welwitschia are certainly plant survivors in an incredibly harsh and arid desert climate. Many holiday makers to Namibia are fascinated to see this unusual desert plant.
The trunk is woody and protrudes from the ground. Unlike other plants the stomata is open in foggy weather and closes when it is hot which allows it to absorb water and ensures that no moisture evaporates during the heat of the day when ground temperatures sometimes reach 65 degrees Celsius.
The Welwitschia absorbs moisture from the thick fog that flows over the Namib desert, a region with an annual rainfall of less than 25mm. These amazing plants depend on this fog for enough moisture to survive.
Welwitschia Desert Plant Life Span
Welwitschias are able to live for hundreds of years, the estimated lifespan being 400 - 1500 years old, with some larger specimens thought to be 2000 years old.
Some of the best specimens are found in the 'Welwitschia Flats' in the desert of Namibia with one specimen rising 1.5m from the surface with a circumference at the base of over 8m, the age of which is said to be approximately 1500 years with some speculating that it was thriving as a seedling when Jesus Christ walked on earth!
Where Does the Welwitschia Desert Plant Grow?
The plant in its natural environment is unique on earth. It grows only in South West Africa in the Namib Desert of Namibia and the Mossamedes desert in Southern Angola.
While it is possible to cultivate a Welwitschia outside of its natural environment, it is worth having a holiday to Namibia where this hardy plant can be seen in its own natural garden.
There is plenty more to do on a Namibia vacation and lots to see, for example the unique Fish River Canyon, the Etosha National Park and Skeleton Coast National Park as well as the variety of landscapes in the Namib Desert.
Reference:
1. Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa, 4th Edition, pages 400 - 415 - Reader's Digest
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