Welwitschia mirabilis male cones

A mature Welwitschia mirabilis plant consists of a stem base from which two broad strap-like leaves grow directly and keep growing for as long as the plant lives, as well as some roots, including a robust taproot. The two light green or yellow green, longitudinally channelled leaves lie on the sand like discarded clothing, photosynthesizing and absorbing moisture from the dew deposited during the regular fog periods. Forces of nature, herbivores and other factors damage the leaves so that the ends break off and they only get a few metres long.

Male and female cones appear on separate plants. The male cones are salmon pink, small and oblong, while the female ones are blue-green, larger and more tapering in shape. Welwitschia displays gymnosperm as well as angiosperm features, i.e. it is in-between the conifers and the flowering plants. Both produce nectar, but very little and they are believed to be pollinated by insects, probably mainly a wasp.

This photograph was taken in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden where it presented these flowering cones. The plant also grows at Kirstenbosch (www.plantzafrica.com; Wikipedia).