Family · Gymnosperms

Welwitschiaceae

Welwitschia

A single bizarre Namib Desert species growing just two ever-lengthening strap leaves for a lifespan of over a thousand years.

Accepted species

1accepted names · Kew WCVP

Genus

1accepted genus · Kew WCVP

Origin

≈239 MaTriassic · stem age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree

Centre of diversity

Africamost native species · WGSRPD

Open Welwitschiaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›

Plants you might know

• Welwitschia mirabilis

Its genus

• Welwitschia1 spp.

Where it grows

• Africa1

Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.

Related families

Welwitschiaceae sits in the order Welwitschiales.