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Velvichia. Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Velvichia, Welwitschia. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Velvichia (Welwitschia)

Family: Velvichiaceae (Welwitschiaceae)

Origin: Angola, Namibia

Area: Endemic plant of southwestern Africa, found in deserts and semi-deserts.

Chemical composition: It does not store nutrients and has no value in the food or drug industry.

Economic value: Welwitschia has no economic value in industry, but is the object of scientific research due to its unique morphology and biology.

Legends, myths, symbolism: According to ancient myths, velvichia was associated with spirits and had magical properties. The inhabitants of the places where velvichia grows considered it a plant that could help them find water in the desert. Velvichia was also considered a symbol of survival and adaptation in the harsh conditions of the desert. Scientists and botanists who studied Welwitschia were amazed by its unusual shape and ability to survive in extremely difficult conditions. They noted that this plant is one of the most ancient and primitive on Earth and may be associated with primitive life forms on the planet.

Velvichia, Welwitschia. Description, illustrations of the plant

Velvichia. Interesting plant facts

The traveler stopped, startled. He, Friedrich Velvich, a well-known botanist, had never seen anything like it. He himself had already seen so many different plants, read about so many, but it seemed impossible to invent this! ... This find, which botanists would later call the discovery of the century, happened in the middle of the last century in the Namib Desert - perhaps the worst of the deserts Earth.

It stretches in a narrow strip along the very coast of West Africa between the famous Kalahari and the Atlantic Ocean. Here the ocean washes the African land with its cold Benguela current. Over this cold "river" in the ocean fogs constantly arise. In the evening, the wind pulls to the mainland, and the fogs creep over the sands and stones of the Namib in a dense wall. An hour ago, travelers in it suffered from dry, burning heat. Now they do not know how to hide from the cold, from the chilling moisture of the fog, which soaked their clothes to the last thread.

But now the exhausting night passed, the subtropical sun rose. The fiery wind from the Kalahari sweeps across the desert again. The siliceous bare soil burns with heat again. Only rarely, rarely, does a lone bush or a bunch of tough grass stick out - plants already familiar to Velvich ...

And suddenly - this! Nothing like it! .. However, no, it looks like ... an octopus with greenish-brown tentacles.

At the traveler's feet, barely rising above the rubble and sand, stuck out either a stump or some kind of stump, more than half a meter in diameter. From it in both directions grew on a wide leaf. Strong and frequent winds tore, ripped these leaves into many brownish-green ribbons. Curled, tangled, they looked like octopus tentacles.

With excitement, Velvich looked at the unprecedented miracle of the Namib Desert. The Bushman guide did not understand why the white traveler was so excited. He calmly explained:

- Otji-tumbo! - In translation, it meant: "great master."

“Interesting,” thought Velvich, “why did the inhabitants of these places call such a short-growing plant “big master”?

Velvich, carefully spreading one of the leaves on the hot rubble, measured its length. More than two meters! There are not many plants in the world with such huge leaves.

In the meantime, the guide, not without difficulty, unearthed the "stump". And again a surprising thing was revealed: almost the entire trunk of the "tumbo" was underground. He was small in stature - only about a meter - and narrowed sharply ... downwards. Down! This meant that the amazing tree was growing down! To the ground! Indeed, in ordinary trees, the upper part of the trunk is thinner: it is younger and has not yet had time to grow as much wood.

The dug "tumbo" looked like a giant beetroot, about the size of a good pine tree. Long and densely branching roots departed from the trunk below. They could collect, drop by drop, all available moisture from a vast area and in a large thickness of the earth. There she penetrated every night from the settling fogs or remained there after heavy rains. However, in the Namib Desert for several years in a row it does not rain at all ...

Yes, "tumbo" is indeed a big gentleman! He is not afraid of either the hot sun or the scorching winds - he hid from them in the ground. Two of its hard, ribbed sheets pressed against it: below, the wind is quieter and the roots are closer - which means that water can be obtained faster. But here's what's remarkable: these two sheets have served the "tumbo" incessantly throughout its long, very long life - many hundreds and even more than a thousand years! They do not fall off to be replaced by new ones, as happens with ordinary plants ...

When Friedrich Velvich brought "otji-tumbo" to Europe, botanists gave the plant, as is customary in science, a Latin name. They named it after the scientist-traveler "Velvichia". And they added the word "mirabilis", which means "amazing", "wonderful".

Subsequently, it turned out that, except for the Namib Desert, velvichia does not grow anywhere else on Earth.

Velvichia mirabilis! And really - amazing, wonderful!

Author: Margolin Ya.A.

Velvichia, Welwitschia. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• Asthma treatment: prepare an infusion of dry velvichia leaves. Take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
• Treatment of respiratory diseases: prepare an infusion of dry velvichia leaves. Take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
• Headache treatment: Apply the juice from fresh velvichia leaves on your forehead and temples and leave for 10-15 minutes.
• Treatment of urinary tract infections: prepare an infusion of dry velvichia leaves. Take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
• Treatment of skin diseases: Apply an infusion of dried velvichia leaves to the affected areas of the skin.

Cosmetology:

• Mask for the face: mix 1 tbsp fresh velvichia leaf puree with 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp olive oil. Apply to face and leave on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Face tonic: mix 1 tablespoon of infusion of dried leaves of velvichia with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes, then strain. Use as a toner to hydrate and refresh skin.
• Face cream: Mix 1 tablespoon fresh velvichia leaf puree with 1 tablespoon butterfat and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Apply to face and massage for 2-3 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
• Hair Mask: mix 1 tbsp fresh velvichia leaf puree with 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp olive oil. Apply to hair and leave for 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water and shampoo.
• Refreshing hair spray: Mix 1 tablespoon of dry velvichia leaf infusion with 1 cup of water. Pour into a spray bottle and use as a refreshing hair spray.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Velvichia, Welwitschia. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Welwitschia, or Welwitschia, is a plant that grows in the desert regions of southern Africa.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing velvichia:

Cultivation:

• Velvichia requires sandy or rocky soil with good drainage.
• The plant prefers sunny locations and can withstand high temperatures and drought.
• Welwitschia can be grown from seed, but the process is long and complicated.
• The plant does not need frequent watering, but care must be taken that the soil is always slightly moist.

Workpiece:

• Velvichia is not used in cooking or medicine, so harvesting is not required.

Storage:

• The plant is not intended for human consumption or medicinal use.
• To maintain a decorative appearance, velvichia must be regularly cleaned of dust and dirt.

Velvichia is a unique plant that has an unusual appearance and can be used for decorative purposes. However, due to the difficulty in growing it and the difficulty in seed availability, Welwitschia is rarely found in commercial gardens and is most often seen in botanical gardens and museums.

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