Welwitschia mirabilis

Why in news : PM Modi mentioned it during his visit to Namibia

Geographic Distribution:

• Endemic to the Namib Desert in Namibia and southern Angola.
• Grows in extremely arid and harsh desert environments.

Unique Features:

• Often called a “living fossil”; it has existed for over 100 million years.
• It produces only two permanent leaves in its lifetime.
• These leaves grow continuously from the base and can become tattered and split over time, giving the appearance of multiple leaves.
• The plant may live for 1,000 to 2,000 years.
• Has a thick, woody stem and deep taproot system to absorb underground moisture.

Physiological Adaptations:

• CAM Photosynthesis: Conserves water by fixing CO₂ at night.
• Can absorb fog moisture using its leaf surface.
• Highly adapted to extreme drought, high temperature, and nutrient-poor soils.

Reproduction:

• Dioecious plant: meaning pollen cones and seed cones are produced on separate plants Male and female cones grow on separate plants.
• Pollination occurs via insects, especially flies and true bugs.

Conservation Status:

• Listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.
• Threats include:
• Climate change
• Habitat disturbance
• Illegal collection by plant enthusiasts

Evolutionary Significance:

• Belongs to the Gnetophytes, a group of gymnosperms distinct from conifers and cycads.
• Shares some angiosperm-like features (such as vessel elements), making it important in understanding plant evolution.

Cultural and Scientific Importance:

• Considered Namibia’s national plant.
• Its survival strategy and anatomy are widely studied in botany, paleobotany, and ecology.
• Sometimes referred to as the “most bizarre plant on Earth”.