On the map in 2 countries shrub symbol: Namibia

Welwitschia

Welwitschia mirabilis

Family: Welwitschiaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Angola, Namibia.

One of the strangest plants in the world, it is the only member of its own family and order of gymnosperms. It has a short, woody stem, a thick taproot and just two strap-like leaves, which keep growing from the base throughout the plant’s life, fraying and splitting at the tips into tangled ribbons. Among other sources, it draws water from fogs rolling in from the Atlantic. The oldest specimens are more than a thousand years old, and the plants are dioecious – male and female cones grow on separate individuals.

Description from: Angola.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

Angola no. 1 of 10 native

Welwitschia was described by the Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, who found it in 1859 in the desert of southern Angola; large populations grow in Iona National Park, and the plant is one of the country’s natural symbols.

Namibia no. 1 of 8 native

Plant on the coat of arms of Namibia

Welwitschia appears on Namibia’s coat of arms as a symbol of the nation’s endurance and strength. Some of the largest specimens can be seen on the “Welwitschia Trail” near Swakopmund.