Description:

• Small, perennial, aquatic herbs; main stem a compressed rhizome
• Leaves possibly heteromorphic; basal leaves submerged, in dense tuft or rosette, bifurcate through lateral fusion of basal part of 2 leaves, each lobe linear-subulate, falcate, fleshy, glabrous; upper floating leaves, or bracts, in 2 decussate, adjacent, unequal pairs, obovate or lanceolate, obtuse, glandular-punctate, subtended by filiform stalk arising from single bud in axil of double basal leaf
• Flowers 1 or 2(3), exserted above floating leaves on short pedicels, recurving in fruit
• Calyx 5-lobed, cup-shaped; lobes triangular, obtuse, subequal, shorter than tube
• Corolla bilabiate; tube ± equal to or shorter than upper lip, funnel-shaped with glandular hairs inside; upper lip hooded with upper edge recurved, emarginate, exterior in bud; lower lip much longer, 3-lobed, central lobe larger and apex square, lateral lobes spreading, smaller
• Stamens 4, didynamous, arising in corolla throat but ± decurrent; posterior pair short, erect, arched above, included in hood, with anthers cohering; anterior pair with filaments geniculate and expanded at base, there covered with stalked glands, filaments free above, bent up and inwards, forming arch; anthers cohering close to posterior pair; anthers bithecate, thecae divergent; staminodes 0
• Nectary 3-lobed, below ovary, on anterior side
• Ovary bilocular, ovoid; ovules ± 20 per locule on swollen axile placenta; style appressed to dorsal side of tube and upper lip, arched downwards so stigma exserted in front of stamens; stigma with 2 broad, obtuse, papillate lobes
• Fruit a bilocular capsule, ovoid when immature
• Seeds elongate-elliptic, 12-sided, faces ribbed; endosperm not alveolate

Nomenclature:

• Chamaegigas Dinter
  • Dinter: 38 (1916) (descr.)
  • Dinter: 123, 168 (1921) (descr.)
  • Dinter: 7 (1923) (nomen)
  • Heil: 41 (1925)
  • Merxmüller & Roessler: 21 (1967)
  • Fischer: 22, 328 (1992)
• Lindernia All. in part
  • Obermeyer: t. 1503 (1967)
  • Giess: 23 (1969)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Monotypic: Chamaegigas intrepidus Dinter, Namibia, from Otjiwarongo south to Rehoboth District; in ephemeral rock pools; remarkably able to resurrect after long drought and flower within few days