Looking like something out of 'Little Shop of Horrors', this big bundle of wind-torn leaves lying on the ground is actually one of the world's oldest and most unusual plants.
Growing only in Namibia in a very desolate and harsh area of desert 30-40 km inland from the coast, Welwitschia mirabilis has been around a VERY long time and has stamina: the oldest specimens are around 2000 years old. It is thought to be the evolutionary link between conifers and flowering plants.
It's unique in the plant kingdom, consisting of a tap root up to 30m deep and just two leathery leaves that grow slowly and continuously throughout its life from a low stem.
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