Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch (Dr. Friderik Velbic), 1806-1872. Famous botanist of Slovenian origin, graduated in Vienna. A perfectionist, he was never satisfied with the accomplished, so he published only a few works during his lifetime. His wish to travel and explore distant places only came true when he was 46. Once back from Angola, he moved to London to study. The vast collection of 42 trunks with more than 5000 Angolan specimens of flora and 3000 of fauna was one of the best preserved and the least known tropical collections to reach Kew until the end of 19th century. He devoted all the time and energy to botany and literally worked himself to the point of exhaustion. He was sent to Angola in order to bring wealth and fame to Lisbon. Although the Portuguese government understood this task in a completely different way as Welwitsch did - which caused unsurmountable problems only to be healed by time - he did enrich our knowledge immensely and made us richer. Welwitsch's story is a remarkable one.
Descobriu a famosa planta, que consegue viver no deserto (Moçâmedes) e que ficou com o seu nome: welwitschia