Chamaegigas

Scientific name

Chamaegigas Dinter ex Heil

Common names

resurrection plant

Family

Linderniaceae

Similar genera

Callitriche, Elatine, Hemianthus

Native distribution

Namibia

Species cultivated

not currently cultivated

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

rare, small, attached herb with floating leaves

Brief description

Perennial. Rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
compressed. Leaves of two different types; basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
leaves submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, forked, each lobe linear-subulate, falcatefalcate:
(adj) shaped like a scythe or sickle
, fleshy, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
, pale green above, white below; floating leaves in 2 unequal pairs, ± decussatedecussate:
(adj) arranged along stem in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the pairs above and below
, leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
lanceolate to ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
round to acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
, base round, marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
purple, dark green above, purple below. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
terminal, 1 or 2 flowers, produced from floating leaf rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
; pedicelpedicel:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
short, recurving in fruit; with honey odor. Flowers zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
; calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
tube cup-shaped, 5-lobed; petals 5, fused, 2-lipped, upper lip hooded and notched, lower lip 3-lobed; white or pale pink, with purple speckles.

Natural habitat

in shallow ephemeral rock pools on granite outcrops

Additional comments

A monotypicmonotypic:
(adj) represented by a single example (species)
genus, Chamaegigas intrepidus Dinter ex Heil was recently to be placed in the genus Lindernia in a phylogenetic analysis. This rare species is able to survive environmental extremes and recover from long periods of drought. It has been well studied regarding its water stress mechanisms, dramatic fluctuations in water chemistry, and drought tolerance. It is found in temporary pools on granite outcrops in Namibia.