One of the rarest and strangest plants in the world, Welwitschia mirabilis is often referred to as an “underground tree” and can live up to 2,000 years in the arid Namib desert. It’s comprised of two leaves, a stem base and a tap root. The leaves become frayed but never stop growing and never shed, giving the plant it’s Medusa-like appearance. It uses them to collect moisture from sea fog. The long tap root can extend 6ft underground to collect water.
The only member of the Welwitschia genus, it’s thought to be a relic from the Jurassic Period, when the Earth was covered with ferns and gymnosperms, and thus a “living fossil”.
