Welwitschia plant leaf. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a section through a leaf of the desert plant Welwitschia mirabilis. Large vascu

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Welwitschia plant leaf. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a section through a leaf of the desert plant Welwitschia mirabilis. Large vascular bundles (orange/grey) are seen running through the leaf. These carry water and nutrients to and from the leaf. This plant lives in the arid desert of south-western Africa. It extracts all the moisture it needs from fogs which cover the desert at times. It only has two leaves, which grow from a thick root embedded in the ground. The leaves grow throughout the life of the plant, which may be as long as 2000 years. Magnification: x30 at 6x7cm size. x50 at 4x5ins

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Size: 3200px × 4000px
Photo credit: © EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: botany, coloured, leaf, leaves, mirabilis, nature, plant, plants, section, sectioned, sem, succulent, welwitschia