Welwitschia: The Ancient Plant with a Story to Tell
An unassuming pile of dried out leaves, Welwitschia may appear dead on first look but don't be fooled. This remarkable plant could beat most in a longevity contest. Some have been living since before the establishment of Sparta!
Despite its rather unattractive appearance — truthfully, it resembles a dried-up desert octopus — this plant harbours some fascinating secrets and a resilience that is nothing short of remarkable. Today let's turn our gaze away from the aesthetics and explore the incredible inner beauty of the Welwitschia.
Recognizing the Welwitschia
The Welwitschia mirabilis is a native of the arid and semi-arid regions of western Namibia and Angola, a unique species that stands alone in its genus. The plant was first identified by Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitsch in 1859, from whom it also derives its English name. However, it is more commonly known as the tree tumbo.
Let's delve into some numbers for a bit. Carbon dating has revealed that some Welwitschia specimens have been alive for over 3000 years!
These plants were already 300 years old when Homer's Odyssey was written. I told you, these guys have seen some things!
To visualise this duration, one could say that these low-lying plants, which range from 60 to 120 cm in diameter and grow only about 30 cm off the ground, sprouted around the time the first colossal stone heads were carved by the ancient Olmec civilization in what is now Mexico.
Their claim to fame, besides their tenacious longevity, is that they have the longest living leaves of any plant in the world. These leaves grow continuously throughout their lives in two ultra-long leathery bands. Yes, that entire cluster of leaves you see is just two individual leaves. Despite their rapid growth rate, the fresh, green parts of the leaves maintain a length of about 3 meters, with the ends slowly withering away, leaving us with a plant that looks akin to a dried up desert octopus.
The Desert Survivor
Sitting in the heart of the plant is a large, woody stem, mostly subterranean, from which the octopus-like leaves sprawl out. Beneath this lies the plant's robust root system that extends deep into the ground.
The Welwitschia is essentially a phreatophyte — a plant with deep roots that allows it to leech moisture from far below the surface. The tap roots of the Welwitschia have often been likened to the appearance of giant radishes.
The Challenges of Reproduction
While this ancient plant has mastered the art of survival, reproduction remains a significant challenge.
The seeds of a Welwitschia plant often get infected with a fungus which hampers their viability. The infection is spread by the Welwitschia bug, a local species known to feasting on the plant’s nectar. The bug, while being a primary pollinator for the plant, also spreads the harmful fungus.
The second hurdle to germination is the infrequency of rainfall in the arid Namib Desert, which averages less than 40mm rainfall a year—far less than the 55mm needed for Welwitschia seedlings to thrive.
How Has Welwitschia Survived?
It's still up for debate exactly why and how this plant has managed to live for so long. While it's widely accepted that the plant is hardly thriving in its bone-dry home, some have argued that it wasn't always a desert dweller.
One theory postulates that the predecessor of modern-day Welwitschia thrived in wetter zones during the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. This was before the drastic shifting of tectonic plates redefined the African landscape and an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. This hypothesis would also explain the plant's high requirements for moisture to germinate, and why they appear significantly more vibrant when grown in controlled greenhouse conditions.
Despite the stiff odds and dusty surroundings, Welwitschia is evidently still standing strong, captivating us all with its tenacious resolve to survive.
There’s certainly a deep, meaningful life lesson hiding within this seemingly-endless heap of brown, dead leaves. Welwitschia's tale is a beautiful reminder that survival isn't always about thriving, and sometimes, the biggest victories come from simply refusing to give up.
Why not share your thoughts on this miraculous plant?
