Biologist believe Welwitschia mirabilis is the last of its genus on Earth.
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

"Unique" is a word thrown about rather loosely and completely inappropriately, as of course it means "one of a kind""?(R)?.period.

Biologist believe Welwitschia mirabilis, however, deserves the title "unique plant," as it's the last remaining plant in its genus, a claim that if true makes it the only organism on Earth that is the last of its order.

Mirabilis means "marvelous," which certainly doesn't describe its looks, but would apply to its longevity. It has been around for 200 million years, coexisting with the dinosaurs. The plant is native to only a 60-mile wide desert strip, starting about half way up the Namibian coast and extending into lower Angola. The plant survives in this desert climate despite a root system described as "rather shallow and simple." Ground water and precipitation from fog keep the plants alive for a very long time"?ua 1,000 years or more, with some plants believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

Artist and photographer Rachel Sussman has traveled around the globe to photography some of the planet's oldest survivors, including Welwitschia in the Namibia Desert, which is included in her recent book The Oldest Things in the World. Among her photography is an 80,000-year-old copse of aspens in Utah.