Living Beings
    Source-identified Welwitschia mirabilis; Detail of a female plant and its reproductive structures. Framed for display
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    Welwitschia mirabilis (female).jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Detail of a female plant and its reproductive structures. Hans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Field guide · species

    Welwitschia

    Welwitschia mirabilis Hook.f., 1862

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    The authority credits the formal scientific description of the name. A year records publication of that description.

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    ViridiplantaeGnetopsidaWelwitschialesWelwitschiaceae

    Welwitschia is a desert gymnosperm famous for keeping the same pair of foliage leaves throughout adult life. Those leaves continue growing at their bases and split into weathered ribbons.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomViridiplantae
    4. PhylumStreptophyta
    5. ClassGnetopsida
    6. OrderWelwitschiales
    7. FamilyWelwitschiaceae
    8. GenusWelwitschia
    9. SpeciesWelwitschia mirabilis
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Viridiplantae kingdom
    4. Streptophyta phylum
    5. Streptophytina subphylum
    6. Embryophyta clade
    7. Tracheophyta clade
    8. Euphyllophyta clade
    9. Spermatophyta clade
    10. Acrogymnospermae clade
    11. Gnetopsida class
    12. Gnetidae subclass
    13. Welwitschiales order
    14. Welwitschiaceae family
    15. Welwitschia genus
    16. Welwitschia mirabilis species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Structure and identification

    A low, woody stem supports two long strap-like leaves. Torn leaf tips can create the impression of many leaves, although the underlying arrangement remains a pair.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Habitat and range

    Arid landscapes of the Namib region expose plants to intense sun, wind and scarce, irregular water.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Nutrition and metabolism

    The persistent green leaves carry out photosynthesis. Water availability includes moisture in the soil; the plant should not be described as depending exclusively on direct fog absorption.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Reproduction and life cycle

    Male and female cones occur on different plants. Insects visit the reproductive structures, and winged seeds provide a means of dispersal.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Geographic distribution

    Native to Namibia and Angola. Its unusual form belongs to a geographically restricted desert lineage.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Ecological role

    Its survival strategy illustrates a distinctive response to desert conditions, rather than a plant that has stopped evolving.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Distinctive adaptations

    Continued growth from protected leaf bases allows the same foliage to persist despite damage at its exposed ends.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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