Titled “Frederico e a Planta Maravilhosa” [Frederick and the Wonderful Plant], Sara Albuquerque‘s new work is a children’s book, featuring illustrations by Ricardo Roque.

The IHC researcher has been studying the life history and work of Friedrich Welwitsch (1806-1872), an Austrian botanist and physician. Now, she tells “the story of Frederick and his encounter with a special plant that lives in the African desert”, as stated in the book’s description.

The special plant is Welwitschia, a plant endemic to the Namibe desert (Angola and Namibia), also called desert octopus due to the shape of its leaves, which can reach four meters. Welwitsch made the first scientific description of the plant, studying it deeply, and leaving notes and reports in the archives of the National Museum of Natural History and Science, in Lisbon.

The book’s launch is scheduled for 22 October, at 6 PM, at Lisbon’s Botanical Gardens. Both kids and adults are welcomed.