Chamaegigas intrepidus

Chamaegigas is a genus which contains only one species, Chamaegigas intrepidus, an aquatic plant that is native to central-west Namibia, growing in semi-arid and savanna regions. It grows in shallow temporary pools on granite inselbergs, surviving regular environmental extremes that include drastic daily changes in temperature and pH, along with extreme fluctuations in wetting and drying. Chamaegigas intrepidus means intrepid dwarf giant, referring to the tiny plant's ability to thrive even in the desert.

Chamaegigas intrepidus and Its Implication for N Nutrition We conclude that amino acids, predominantly glycine and serine, can be utilised by C. intrepidus in its natural habitat. Since glyci... More

yet gigantic lifestyle, aptly named Chamaegigas intrepidus, which literally translates to "intrepid dwarf giant". It occurs exclusively in small, shallow (not deeper than about 15 cm) ephemeral pools on top of large rock plates in the central west of Namibia. At the base of the pools a thin layer (on average 1 cm thick) of coarse sand, debris from algae and aquatic invertebrates, animal dung and leaf litter, accumulates. More