Welwitschia
(named in honour of Dr. Frederic Welwitsch, 1806-1872, a celebrated botanical traveller). SYN. Tumboa. ORD. Gnetaceae. A monotypic genus. The species is one of the most remarkable productions of the vegetable kingdom. It is found growing in arid places in tropical and South-western Africa, where rain rarely falls. The two leaves were at first described as being simply persistent cotyledons enormously developed, but such is not the case; the two cotyledons last for some time, and then the true leaves appear. Although W. mirabilis "was first made known in Europe by Dr. Welwitsch, it appears to have been first discovered by Mr. C. J. Anderson, an eminent African traveller. This wonderful plant has been introduced into the Royal Gardens, Kew; but we do not know if it yet exists in any other establishment. It will probably prove very difficult to cultivate, on account of the impossibility of imitating the natural conditions under which it flourishes. It appears to us that the most probable method of succeeding with it would be to inclose a space within brick walls to a height of about 3ft. from the earth. This should be filled up, to a height of about 16in. or 18in., with a very light, porous soil, such as a mixture of light, sandy loam and broken bricks, in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter. Above this the space should be filled in with sand and brick rubbish, mixed with a little sandy loam-about a tenth part of the latter, just to help to bind it. If planted in this way, the long, descending roots would penetrate into the lower soil, and derive sufficient nourishment and water from it, as the water would ascend into the lower stratum from the earth by capillary attraction, whilst the upper stratum being dry would prevent the plant from rotting. It should be fully exposed to the sun, and no water given it, though at evening a slight syringing over the leaves and crown would probably be beneficial, as this would in some way approach the dews to which it is subjected in its native country. The temperature should not be allowed to get below 50 deg." (N. E. Brown).
W. mirabilis (wonderful). fl. solitary, contained within the scales of the young cones; cones scarlet, small, erect, at length oblong, in stout, dichotomously branched cymes, springing from near the insertion of the leaves. l. two, from deep grooves in the circumference of the trunk, 6ft. or more in length, quite flat, linear, very leathery, splitting with age into innumerable thongs, that lie curling on the surface of the soil. Trunk obconical, about 2ft. long, rising a few inches only above the soil, with the appearance of a flat, two-lobed, depressed mass, sometimes 14ft. in circumference; when fully grown, it is dark brown, hard, and cracked, like the burnt crust of a loaf of bread; the lower part forming a stout tap-root, buried in the soil, and branching downwards at the end. 1862 and 1878. The plant is said to last a century. (B. M. 5368-9; T. L. S. xxiv. 1-14.)