''Marsilea'' is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

s of the family

Marsileaceae Marsileaceae () is a small family of heterosporous aquatic and semi-aquatic ferns, though at first sight they do not physically resemble other ferns. The group is commonly known as the "pepperwort family" or as the "water-clover family" because ...

. The name honours Italian naturalist

Luigi Ferdinando Marsili Count (nobility), Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (or Marsigli, Latin, Lat. ''Marsilius''; 10 July 1658 – 1 November 1730) was an Italian scholar and eminent natural scientist, who also served as an emissary and soldier. Biography Born in ...

(1656–1730). These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ferns. Common names include water clover and four-leaf clover because of the long-stalked leaves have four

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

-like lobes and are either present above water or submerged. The sporocarps of some Australian species are very drought-resistant, surviving up to 100 years in dry conditions. On wetting, the gelatinous interior of the sporocarp swells, splitting it and releasing a worm-like mass that carries sori, eventually leading to germination of spores and fertilization.

Uses

As food

Sporocarps of some Australian species such as '' Marsilea drummondii'' are edible and have been eaten by Aborigines and early white settlers, who knew it under the name ngardu or nardoo. Parts of ''Marsilea drummondii'' contain an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...

which destroys

thiamine Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thi ...

(vitamin B₁), leading to brain damage in sheep and horses. During floods in the

Gwydir River Gwydir River (locally wɑe̯də, a major inland perennial river of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands, North West Slopes, and Orana districts of New South Wales, Australia. Th ...

basin 2,200 sheep died after eating nardoo. Three-quarters of the sheep that were affected did however respond to thiamine injections.

Thiamine Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thi ...

deficiency from incorrectly prepared nardoo likely resulted in the starvation and death of

Burke and Wills The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia in 1860–61. It consisted of 19 men led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, with the objective of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the ...

. The leaves of '' Marsilea crenata'' are part of the East Javanese cuisine of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, especially in the city of Surabaya. It is called Pecel Semanggi and is served with spicy peanut and sweet potato sauce.

Ornamental

A few species in the genus, such as '' Marsilea crenata'', '' Marsilea exarata'', ''

Marsilea hirsuta ''Marsilea'' is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns of the family Marsileaceae. The name honours Italian naturalist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1656–1730). These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ...

'', and ''

Marsilea quadrifolia ''Marsilea quadrifolia'' is a herbaceous plant found naturally in central and southern Europe, Caucasia, western Siberia, Afghanistan, south-west India, China, Japan, and Vietnam, though it is considered a weed in some parts of the United State ...

'', are grown in aquaria.

Species

Formerly placed here

*''

Salvinia natans ''Salvinia natans'' (commonly known as floating fern, floating watermoss, floating moss, or commercially, water butterfly wings) is an annual floating aquatic fern, which can appear superficially similar to moss. It is found throughout the worl ...

'' (L.) All. (as ''M. natans'' L.)

Taxonomy

Molecular

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis of the genus ''Marsilea'' shows the following tree. This tree indicates that '' M. crenata'' is the same species (or a subspecies) of '' M. minuta'', and possibly '' M. fadeniana'' also. Additionally, this analysis contradicts reportsTropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 25 Sep 2017 http://www.tropicos.org/Name/26602149 that '' M. polycarpa'' is a synonym for ''M. minuta''

References

*Mabberley, D.J. (1997). ''The Plant-Book''. Cambridge University Press. * Edmund Russow: ''Histologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Sporenfrucht von Marsilia.'' Dissertation. Dorpat 1871
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*Johnson 1986 Systematics of the New World species of Marsilea. Syst. Bot. Monog. 11:1–87.

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2363141 Aquatic plants Fern genera ja:デンジソウ