mobile plant informer
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| Welwitschia mirabilis | |
| "Welwitschia" | |
| LHBC 572 | |
| Family: Welwitschiaceae | |
| Native to: Namibia Africa. Only found in the Namib fog desert. | |
| SARCOCAUL. GYMNOSPERM! Welwitschia occurs in one of the driest deserts on earth - the Namib of southwest Africa. This is an unusal desert, that has virtually no rainfall but has predictable fogs that provide mositure to the plants. This plant only produces two leaves - which elongate by intercalary growth and eventually begin to split as you can see in our specimen. These leaves have a large surface area and are believed to act as "collectors" for moisture from the fog. | |
| Horticultural notes: Cannot tolerate wet roots AT ALL. This is why in greenhouses it must be planted in extremely well-drained soil, and usually (as in ours) is placed in an elevated clay pipe to ensure complete drainage. FEMALE |
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