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welwitschia

/ wɛlˈwɪtʃɪə /

noun

  1. a gymnosperm plant, Welwitschia mirabilis, of the Namib Desert in SW Africa, consisting of two large woody leaves lying on the ground with a conelike structure arising between them: phylum Gnetophyta
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of welwitschia1

C19: named after F. M. J. Welwitsch (1807–72), Portuguese botanist, born in Austria
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Example Sentences

In the desert collection is a two-leafed plant, the welwitschia mirabilis, that can endure a 3,000-year lifetime on no more than a light mist.

He stops by a welwitschia, a Namibian plant with two leaves, proclaiming it the “ugliest plant in the world” and delivering the line with such enthusiasm that it sounds like a compliment.

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