Herta Kolberg. The. They also drink water off the leaves of plants – formed by condensation from fog. Click here to see one of the biggest Welwitschia caught on camera. Guest blogger K Kristie has pulled together the facts on these strange life forms found in Namibia... Namib Desert, photo courtesy of TravelNewsNamibia.com. The female plant produces up to 100 flowers in a season, while the male produces an abundance of pollen. Its age can only be measured through radio carbon dating which found that baobabs can be over 2,000 years old. Daylight temperatures at the desert can be as high as 60 degrees centigrade, and at night fall below 0 degrees centigrade, according to the WWF. To find out more, view our Cookie Policy. Rain has not blessed the sands of the African Namib Desert. At the age of 20, cone-like flowers appear. The western part of the Namib borders the Atlantic Ocean . By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The Namib desert is considered one of the oldest deserts in the world. 10am–5pm (last entry 4pm), Tickets It can live for up to 2,000 years, and grow up to 24 feet wide. According to t… The Namib is a desert on the west coast of southern Africa . These plants are sometimes referred to as “living fossils” as the plants that one can see above the ground are thousands of years old. Existing for at least 55 million years, the Namib is one of the oldest deserts in the world. C/O Tunschel and Aschenborne str, Pioneerspark, Windhoek. Pachypodium namaquanum, photo by Winfried Bruenken from WikiCommons. One of the most well-known endemic plants of the Namib is the bizarre Welwitschia mirabilis; a shrub-like plant, it grows two long strap-shaped leaves continuously throughout its lifetime. On the iron rich red sand dunes of Sossusvlei and the Namib Rand, barking geckos and scrab beetles dash around lime green ostrich spiky grasses that wave in the breeze whilst clinging to the dunes. Most snakes have their eyes on the side of their heads. Plant and animal adaptations in the desert. Whilst there are other coastal deserts (such as the Atacama) bounded by cool ocean currents, the Namib is the only one in which endemic plants and animals have evolved in virtually barren dunes. It is located in the southern part of the Namib Desert in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia. The Tsamma melon is an undomesticated form of the cultivated citron, or bitter melon. The Namib Desert sure is home to some of the world’s rarest and most interesting flora and fauna. The branches and bark are used by Kalahari San Bushmen to make quivers for their arrows thus the name. Some 3,500 species of plants are found here, about half of which are endemic. It has a hard, woody outer shell with a dry, powdery substance rich in vitamin C which when soaked in water provide a refreshing drink that resembles lemonade thus giving another one of its common name—lemonade tree. The taprootof the plant develops into a flat, concave disc in age. But in severe drought, it seals off its own branches to save moisture loss through the leaves. A number of rare and interesting plants are present in the Namib Desert, such as the Welwitschia Mirabilis, which consists only of 2 leaves and a stem, and is estimated to reach up to 2000 … It has smooth branches covered with a thin layer of whitish powder that helps reflect away the hot sun rays. This plant gets my vote for the strangest plant on the planet. It’s capable of providing food, water, shelter and medicine for both animals and humans giving it the title “The Tree of Life.” It’s been called “grotesque” and “botanical monster” by some. The, gets thicker rather than higher although it can grow up to six feet high and twenty-four feet wide. This article was originally published on scienceray.com and has been republished with consent from the author, K. Kristie. Plants in the Namib Desert have developed and adaptation that allows them to get their water from. Many of these plant species are used for medicines and agriculture. In the Namib, fog constitutes the most‐predictable form of free water. Plants that grow here are adapted to harsh environmental conditions. The branch end looks like an amputated limb. 1. This plant is one of the few things on earth that can be truly called one of a kind. This drink is also used to treat fever and other common ailments. The rugby team in Namibia carried its name as well. [email protected] +264 81 666 0777 It covers an area of approximately over 2000 km from Angola to Namibia and through South Africa. Read about the different uses of one particular Baobab in the Owambo region of Namibia, Quiver tree forrest, photo courtesy of TravelNewsNamibia.com. Jurrassic plants? It adapts to the sun and heat with its growth in thickness of stem instead of height. Nicknamed the world’s oldest desert, it stretches 1,200 miles in length with an average width of only 70 miles along the coast of Namibia to form one of the most spectacular and richest deserts in the world. Large trunks of dead trees are also hollowed out and used as a natural refrigerator where water, meat and vegetables are stored inside. But only 2.5 million people live in Namibia – the same number as people living in Greater Manchester. Its lifespan is estimated to reach 2000 years. - Appreciate silence, and desolation, and stark beauty; there's no place quite like the Namib Desert. It is Namibia’s national plant. He wanted to name it Tumboa, its native Angolan name but the plant was still named in his honor. The tree is capable of storing hundreds of liters of water, which is tapped during dry periods. Geologists assume it is at least 15 million years old. Affected ticketholders will be contacted with their options. The Welwitschia mirabilis is a famous plant in the Namib due to its brown color and wideness. Our gardens are open for you to relax and enjoy the fresh air but some of our buildings are closed in line with national guidance. The fruit, called monkey-bread is a large, egg-shaped capsule covered with grayish green to yellowish brown hairs. They are also able to grow with grazing animals about. They’re mainly found in rocky habitats and isolated mountains that are far … Welwitschia is a monotypic gymnosperm genus, comprising solely the distinctive Welwitschia mirabilis, endemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola.The plant is commonly known simply as welwitschia in English, but the name tree tumbo is also used. Baobab in Northern Namibia (Kunene) photo by Hans Hillewaert from WikiCommons. Hoodia species are pollinated by flies which are attracted by a rotting flesh smell. If there’s one tree you will never forget, it’s the Adansonia digitata. Further south there is desert thistle, Pocaleteum bushes and wild sage in the springs that are visited by crowned lapwings, larks and sand grouse. The Namib is a largely unpopulated and inaccessible desert in Namibia and southwest Angola which forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Be the first to post a comment! Fog also sustains plants that form the base for metabolic water production and wets the diet to provide pre‐formed water. Please only visit if you live locally. It stretches more than 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) between the city of Namibe in Angola and the Olifants River in South Africa . Geologists assume it is at least 15 million years old. Namib - Namib - People and economy: A few San roamed the Namib until early in the 20th century, gathering whatever was edible along the shore, hunting in the Inner Namib, and often depending on the bitter juices of the tsama (tsamma) melon for water. Fog, wind and heat: life in the Namib desert. K Kristie is a full-time mother of two and a part-time freelance online content writer from Malaybalay, Philippines. This plant is considered a living fossil and Charles Darwin was reported to have described it as “the platypus of the plant kingdom.”. This site uses cookies. A huge diversity of plants exists in Namibia. Plants that grow here are adapted to harsh environmental conditions. The specie mirabilis means marvelous or wonderful in Latin. Mirabilis means marvelous in Latin It is a “living fossil.” Initially, sightings of the plant … - Also, if you don't like crowds, driving behind "clouds of dust you can hardly see through", or being anywhere that you feel is too touristy, maybe go in the off season. It is the perfect home for the Namib Desert beetle. Both leaves that grow from opposite sides of the, will continue to grow and never drops and instead gets brown by the sun and torn by the wind which will eventually look like lots of individual leaves. It’s a fascinating landscape with very little, erratic to no precipitation at all. Another bizarre desert plant is the Kokerboom or Quiver tree. Production by Jonathan Drori and Miguel Santana da Silva. Pachypodium namaquanum, more commonly known as elephant’s trunk, clubfoot, halfman or halfmens is a succulent plant that can sometimes look like a tree when fully grown. Welwitschia mirabilis was discovered by botanist, explorer and medical doctor, Friedrich Welwitsch, in 1860 in the Namib Desert. 9-12 February 2021:The opening of The Children's Garden at Kew Gardens will be delayed until at least 12.30pm as a safety precaution. The Namib Desert is the perfekt habitat for these desert plants. This is an ideal site for the propagation of all our succulent species and desert adapted plants. Plants of the Namib Desert include: ~ Trees: provide shade, homes, and food for the alike human and animal kingdoms. Welwitschia mirabilis in Namibia (Damaraland) photo by Nanosanchez via WikiCommons. 10am–4.30pm (last entry 4pm), Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 6TN. Earlier than that, indigenous peoples used the core of the Welwitschia female plant … In the Namib Desert we have another exception to the rule, the side winder or Peringuey’s adder (Bitis peringueyi). A number of unusual species of plants and animals are found in this desert, many of which are endemic and highly adapted to the specific climate of the area. The quiver tree is in fact not a tree but a giant aloe. The Namib Desert is also home to the highest sand dunes in the world and some of the world’s rarest and most interesting flora. The name Adansonia was named in remembrance to French naturalist Michel Adanson; the specie digitata meaning hand-like refers to the shape of the leaves. Its lifespan is estimated to reach 2000 years. INTRODUCTION: Information on the desert biome; Location and information on the Namib desert PLANTS AND ANIMALS: Biotic factors - plants and animals; Food … Many plants have underground storage tissues, are heavily armed with long thorns, or are poisonous. It is a gymnosperm, like cycads and pines. Get exclusive updates, offers and more in our monthly newsletter. It’s also called the Skeleton Coast as many ships have been marooned on its treacherous coast. It is estimated that the largest of these plants are about 2,500 years old. Among these species, almost 800 are endemic, meaning they occur in Namibia and nowhere else in the world. They are the longest-lived leaves of any member of the plant kingdom. The cork-like bark is fire resistant and is used to make cloth and rope. It’s one of the driest places on the planet. Welwitschia is notabl… They are able to withstand high sun radiation, the erratic rainfall and can avoid water loss. Herbs have a short lifespan in the Namib, however they are very adaptable, so they can survive in this biome. This lengthy stretch made the Nama people give it the name “Namib” meaning, “vast place.” The most recent checklist of Namibian indigenous and naturalised plants, published in 2013, lists almost 4,500 plant taxa in Namibia, of which 4,200 are native to the country. There are diverse succulents, like the Welwitschia Mirabilis plants found there. @namibia_cosmetics @namibdesertoils Annually, much of the Namib Desert receives less than 10 millimeters of rain, making the dense coastal fog it receives the primary water source in many areas, according to UNESCO. Welwitschia mirabilis was discovered by botanist, explorer and medical doctor, Friedrich Welwitsch, in 1860 in the Namib Desert. At least 48 Namib animal species consume free water from fog, or are likely to do so, employing both liquid and vapor phase. Unique Desert Plants in the Namib Desert Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitschia discovered an unusual plant in 1860 in Namibia and it was named after him in recognition of his research.
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