Thawgrass

The thawgrass split from its ancestor desert chitinbane and has moved to Barlowe Tundra. It no longer produces "chitinese" but instead sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in its bubbles. In its roots it stores up ethanoic acid (CH3OOH). They store up these chemicals in order to create a neutralization reaction that produce a good bit of heat, but not enough to actually damage the cells. They store up these chemicals during the warmer periods and then stay dormant in the winter. Once spring comes they activate this chemical reaction to quickly thaw before other flora have thawed thus gaining an upper hand over the other flora. The sodium hydroxide bubbles have a salty taste while the roots have a vinegar taste. This makes it unappealing to most herbivores.