#Welwitschia is a monotypic genus of gnetophytes containing only the species Welwitschia mirabilis. It is named after the Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, who documented the plant in the 1850s. In common use, it is sometimes referred to as

My Welwitschia mirabilis is doing pretty well after a couple of years living outside in Tucson! Growth slows down every winter and you can see the lines on the leaves. I got this back in February 2021 when it still had cotyledons - it has grown a lot since then (at least I think it is a lot for a Welwitschia!). #Welwitschia #Tucson #botany #plants #gymnosperms

The monotypic Welwitschia mirabilis is dioecious. This one has male cones. These are incredible plants. They have two leaves throughout their life cycle and may live thousands of years. They are a desert adapted plants from Namibia. The species is a gymnosperm, so no flowers, but rather pollen or seeds exposed to the environment. They are wind-pollinated. These are related to pines and cycads more than say, a tulip or other flowering plants. Fascinating.
#Bloomscrolling
#botany
#welwitschia

Die #Welwitschia​ ist die Nationalpflanze von #Namibia. Sie besteht im Prinzip nur aus zwei endlos wachsenden Blättern und kann über 2000 Jahre alt werden 🥰