Welwitschia is a cone-bearing desert plant with two persistent foliage leaves, despite translated names that sometimes call it an orchid. Its unusual appearance is easier to understand when the torn leaf strips are traced back to their bases.
Two leaves, many strips
Welwitschia mirabilis produces two persistent foliage leaves that continue growing from their bases. Older portions can tear and split into strips, making a mature plant appear to have far more leaves. Trace the strips back toward the center to understand the underlying structure.
A desert plant with an unusual history
Welwitschia comes from the Namib region of southwestern Africa. It bears cones and belongs to its own distinctive lineage; it is not an orchid. Some individuals are exceptionally long-lived, but the age of a photographed plant should not be guessed from leaf length alone.
Looking at cultivated plants
Botanic-garden specimens provide a useful chance to see the short woody base, persistent leaves and reproductive structures together. Their specialist cultivation should not be reduced to a generic succulent routine. A translated name such as century orchid can be memorable, but the botanical name is the reliable link between a living specimen, a photograph and further information.
Related reading: Why an Agave Has Not Flowered Yet.