Description:

• Plant dioecious; stem woody, unbranched (closed system of growth), broadly obconic or turbinate, concave on top, outer covering corky; taproot elongated, branching near apex
• Leaves produced from subcircular groove around rim of crater-like apex of plant, parallel-veined, persistent, growing from base
• Inflorescences arising from floriferous cushions above and sometimes also below insertion of leaf
• Flowers unisexual (male pseudo-bisexual but functionally unisexual), borne singly in axils of scales forming small cones
• Male flowers: perianth segments 4, in 2 whorls; stamens 6, with filaments connate at base; anthers 3-thecate, dehiscing by 3 slits at summit, pollen grains ellipsoidal with ± 20 longitudinal ridges; ovule single, abortive, with integument produced into a style-like tubular structure and expanded at apex into a stigma-like, papillose disc
• Female flowers: perianth segments 2, navicular, united along margins to enclose the ovule, flattened, with wings developing along keels; ovule with single integument produced into style-like tubular structure which eventually is exserted, widened and lobed at apex
• Seeds winged; cotyledons 2, endospermous

Nomenclature:

• Welwitschiaceae
  • Pearson: 1 (1933)
  • Verdoorn: 48 (1966), the basis of this account
  • Friedrich-Holzhammer: 1 (1967)
  • Kubitzki: 387 (1990)
  • Von Breitenbach & Von Breitenbach: 209 (1992)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Monotypic family, Namibia and Angola

References:

• FRIEDRICH-HOLZHAMMER, M. 1967. Welwitschiaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 13
• KUBITZKI, K. 1990. Welwitschiaceae. The families and genera of vascular plants 1. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
• PEARSON, H.H.W. 1933. Welwitschiaceae. Flora capensis 5, 2 (Supplement)
• VERDOORN, I.C. 1966. Welwitschiaceae. Flora of southern Africa 1
• VON BREITENBACH, F. & VON BREITENBACH, J. 1992. Tree atlas of southern Africa section 1. Dendrological Foundation, Pretoria

Resources:

• Welwitschiaceae genus: Welwitschia