What looks a little like an octopus and can live for 1,000 years? It’s the odd Welwitschia (well-WITCH-ee-a) plant, which grows in desert areas of Namibia and Angola, two countries in Africa. The Welwitschia  has only two leaves that shred into many long, leathery pieces as they grow. Welwitschias  provide shelter for small desert animals and are an important part of the web of life in the desert.

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