biology

Lindernia intrepida

Lindernia intrepida is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lindernia intrepida rather than just read about it. In short: Lindernia intrepida is a species of 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.

Key takeaways

Lindernia intrepida belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lindernia intrepida to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lindernia intrepida from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lindernia intrepida is a species of 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. It was previously known as Chamaegigas intrepidus, meaning "intrepid dwarf giant", referring to the tiny plant's ability to thrive even in the desert.

Description Lindernia intrepida 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. Lindernia intrepida 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.

Taxonomy Lindernia intrepida was discovered by German botanist Kurt Dinter in 1909. The previous binomial name translates to "intrepid dwarf giant", referring to the small plant's ability to survive the most extreme conditions. It is considered to be a resurrection plant because it quickly revives from complete dormancy.

Habitat and distribution The plant is native to central-west Namibia, growing in semi-arid conditions in very shallow (15 cm (5.9 in)) temporary pools in granitic rock. The pools can dry out and refill 15 to 20 times each year. The pools also go through daily extremes of temperature and pH. Water temperatures can range from 6 to 40 °C (43 to 104 °F) between day and night, while the late afternoon water pH can be greater than 10 and morning pH less than 6. The rhizomes can also be exposed to 50 °C (122 °F) temperatures during the 11-month dry season.

Notes

External links IPNI Listing

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lindernia intrepida

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lindernia intrepida claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lindernia intrepida before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lindernia intrepida ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lindernia intrepida

In research: Lindernia intrepida appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lindernia intrepida in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lindernia intrepida is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Aquatic plants, Flora of Namibia, IUCN Red List least concern species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lindernia intrepida outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lindernia intrepida in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lindernia intrepida means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lindernia intrepida out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lindernia intrepida in simple terms?

Why does Lindernia intrepida matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lindernia intrepida?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lindernia intrepida.