Description
Chamaegigas intrepidus grows in intertwined mats, with two different leaves. One is an underwater awl-shaped leaf that is 1 to 2 cm (0.39 to 0.79 in) long. Two pairs of unequal length leaves float on the water, 5 to 7 mm (0.20 to 0.28 in) and oval-shaped. The plant grows from a small 1 mm (0.039 in) rhizome growing in a combination of sand, organic debris, leaf remains, and animal dung that is 1 cm (0.39 in) deep. The flowers have two lips, and are white or pale pink with purple speckles. [2]
Chamaegigas intrepidus is one of approximately 330 desiccant-tolerant vascular plants, 90% of which are found growing on inselbergs. It is one of the rare desiccant-tolerant vascular plants that is not a fern or monocotyledon. The basal leaves can survive complete drying for 4.5 months, with more than 50% of them reviving after receiving moisture—so the plants simply resume growing once the pools fill again after a dry spell. New floating leaves, which do not survive drying as well as the basal leaves, can reach the water surface as soon as 2–4 days after the pool refills, with flowers appearing as early as 4 days after breaking dormancy. [2]
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground, including many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Pachypodium is a genus of succulent spine-bearing trees and shrubs, native to Madagascar and Africa. It belongs to the family Apocynaceae.
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials.
Pleopeltis polypodioides, also known as the resurrection fern, is a species of creeping, coarse-textured fern native to the Americas and Africa.
Pachypodium habitats consist of isolated, specialized, micro–environmental niches, generally xeric, rocky, frost-free areas within parts of western Madagascar and southern Africa. Pachypodium species are often indifferent to the regional ecological, biotic zone of vegetation, a fact which explains some of Pachypodium morphology and architecture. The large scale vegetation zones are in some cases irrelevant to the micro-environments of Pachypodium, in the sense that the xeric niches may be embedded in larger mesic biomes.
Quercus coccifera, the kermes oak, is an oak bush in the Quercus section Cerris. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb, south to north from Morocco to France and west to east from Portugal to Cyprus and Turkey, crossing Spain, Italy, Libya, Balkans, and Greece, including Crete. The Kermes Oak was historically important as the food plant of the Kermes scale insect, from which a red dye called crimson was obtained. The etymology of the specific name coccifera is related to the production of red cochineal (crimson) dye and derived from Latin coccum which was from Greek κόκκος, the kermes insect. The Latin -fera means 'bearer'.
Aponogeton distachyos or Aponogeton distachyum, also known as waterblommetjie, Cape-pondweed, water hawthorn, vleikos and Cape pond weed is an aquatic flowering plant.
Iris cristata is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Limniris. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, endemic to the eastern United States. It has pale lavender flowers with a white patch and orange or yellow crest. It is a close relative to Iris lacustris, the only other crested iris native to North America. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
A xerophyte is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert or an ice- or snow-covered region in the Alps or the Arctic. Popular examples of xerophytes are cacti, pineapple and some Gymnosperm plants.
Goeppertia allouia, known as lerén or lairén in Spanish, and also known in English as Guinea arrowroot, and sweet corn root, is a plant in the arrowroot family, native to northern South America and the Caribbean, The name "allouia" is derived from the Carib name for the plant Leren is a minor food crop in the American tropics, but was one of the earliest plants domesticated by pre-historic Amerindians in South America.
Dracaena pinguicula, synonym Sansevieria pinguicula, also known as the walking sansevieria, is a xerophytic CAM succulent native to the Bura area of Kenya, near Garissa. The species was described by Peter René Oscar Bally in 1943.
Panicum repens is a species of grass known by many common names, including torpedograss, creeping panic, panic rampant, couch panicum, wainaku grass, quack grass, dog-tooth grass, and bullet grass. Its exact native range is obscure. Sources suggest that the grass is native to "Africa and/or Asia", "Europe or Australia", "Eurasia", "Australia", "Europe, Asia, and Africa", or other specific regions, including the Mediterranean, Israel, and Argentina. It is present in many places as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It has been called "one of the world's worst weeds."
Hydnora triceps is a holoparasitic flowering plant native to Africa that grows on the roots of Euphorbia dregeana. Completely lacking in chlorophyll, it depends on its host for water and nutrients. The plant structure is composed of only specialized stems, buds, and haustoria, lacking any leaf-like structures entirely. It spends its life underground and only emerges to flower.
Lapidaria is a monotypic genus of dwarf succulent plants in the family Aizoaceae. The only species it contains is Lapidaria margaretae, also known as the Karoo rose.
Iris fulva, also known as copper iris, is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and in the series Hexagonae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, endemic to the southern and central United States. It has copper-red to deep red flowers and bright green leaves.
Iris hexagona, commonly known as the Dixie iris, is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and in the series hexagonae. It is a rhizomatous perennial with long bright green leaves, long thin stem and has small groups of flowers in shades of blue, from violet, to bluish purple, to lavender. It flowers in springtime and is native to the southeastern and south-central US states.
Iris typhifolia is a species in the genus Iris, also the subgenus Limniris and in the series Sibiricae. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from China. It has slender, twisted leaves, deep green slender hollow stem and 2 violet-blue flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris wilsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to China. It is placed in the series Sibiricae of the subgenus Limniris of the genus Iris. This rhizomatous herbaceous perennial has long and drooping grey-green leaves, hollow stems and two fragrant yellow, pale yellow or yellow/white flowers.
Craterostigma plantagineum, is a resurrection plant species in the genus Craterostigma. It is a dwarf growing plant and can be found to make a 'carpet' across the ground, with blooms in shades of blue and purple. It is a well-studied desiccation-tolerant species known for its extreme vegetative tolerance against dehydration and desiccation. It is native to parts of Africa and to India. It is known as a resurrection plant.
Moss lawns are lawns composed of moss, which are grown as an alternative to grass lawns. They are a defining element in moss gardens.
