botanyshitposts:

breathinginbiology:

Welwitschia mirabilis (commonly known as Welwitschia or tree tumbo) is a monotypic gymnosperm native to the Namib desert in Namibia and Angola. An adult welwitschia consists of roots, a stem base, and only two leaves (the same two leaves from when the plant was a seedling). The two leaves, which can grow to over 26 feet in diameter, lie on the ground becoming torn to ribbons and tattered with age. Their estimated lifespan, using carbon dating, is 400-1500 years with the oldest being over 2000 years.

imagine being a plant so old the scientists have to use carbon dating to find your age. carbon dating, a technique also used to find the ages of fossils and artifacts