Welwitschia Mirabilis

Welwitschia mirabilis est la seule espèce du genre Welwitschia et de la famille des Welwitschiacées. Cette plante très particulière des déserts côtiers de Namibie a été nommée en l'honneur du Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch qui l'a découverte en 1860. Elle est constituée de deux grandes feuilles linéaires qui croissent de façon indéfinie dans des sens opposés et dont les extrémités se dilacèrent. Sa longévité est considérable : certains spécimens observés ont entre 1000 et 2000 ans. La suite (Wikipedia)
Welwitschia mirabilis is a desert plant which grows from a short, thick trunk, with only two leaves that continuously grow from their base, and a long, thick taproot. (...) The age of the plants is difficult to assess, but it is believed that they are very long-lived, possibly living 1000 years or more. Some individuals may be more than 2000 years old.(...)Named after Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch who discovered it in 1860, it is generally considered to be one of the oddest plants in existence. Although considered endangered due to its very slow growth and despite the fact that older plants are often sought by collectors, a fair number of plants exist in the wild. The plants living in Angola are generally considered to be better protected than the plants in Namibia.Read more on Wikipedia