Only Takes Two To Tango with the Welwitschia Plant The Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis) is a gymn

Only Takes Two To Tango with the Welwitschia PlantThe Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis) is a gymnosperm, one of a number of nonflowering, seed bearing vegetation species of plant. A relict endemic to the Namib Desert, spanning northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola.Living in the desert, it has to be able to cope with extreme temperature fluctuations between 40°F (6°C) during the night and up to 120°F (50°C) during the day. Drifting fog from the Atlantic helps tremendously for gathering condensed water onto the larger leaves of the plant, channeling down toward the taproot. Both genders of Welwitschia produce nectar in the seeds that form on cone appendages, which ultimately attracts insects. Some beetles enjoy the sweets of the Welwitschia but it is believed since there are such long distances between individual plants, wasps and hornets do the majority of effective pollination.Appearing like a big mess, the Welwitschia only produces two leaves. Continually growing, they curl upon one another tearing and splitting over and over again. They can do so for as long as 600 years or longer. Some of the larger ones are thought to be 2,000 years old! Their leaves contain high concentrations of organic acids which have shown direct daytime carbon dioxide uptake in controlled experiments, supporting the primitive origin of the plant being from the late Paleozoic era.The Welwitschia, though seemingly unnecessary and cumbersome, has survived decades of changing climates, natural disasters, humans, a variety of insects, diseases and viruses, the list goes on. Not surprising then that “Mirabilis” is a Latin adjective for remarkable, wondrous, and amazing.–MiImage Credit-http://bit.ly/1Wdsa8fSource-http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/170198/ -- source link
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