''Marsilea drummondii'' is a species of

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 except t ...

known by the common name nardoo. It is native to Australia, where it is widespread and common, particularly in inland regions. It is a rhizomatous perennial aquatic fern that roots in mud substrates and produces herbage that floats on the surface of quiet water bodies. It occurs in water up to one metre deep.''Marsilea drummondii''.
ANBG. It occurs in abundance after

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

s.Thomas, A
Nardoo, the desert fern.
ABC Science. March 8, 2007 It can form mats on the water's surface and cover the ground in carpets as floodwaters recede. It is variable in appearance and occurs in many types of wetland habitat. In general the frond is made up of two pairs of leaflets and is borne erect when not floating. The plant produces sporocarps which can remain viable for 50 years and only release spores after being thoroughly soaked. The sporocarps are dispersed by birds that eat them but cannot digest them, and by flowing water. The sporocarp is used for food by

Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

, who collect, roast and grind them to powder which they mix with water to make a

dough Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...

.Perumal, G. (2010)
Ethnomedicinal use of pteridophyte from Kolli Hills, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, India.
''Ethnobotanical Leaflets'' 14 161. The sporocarp can be toxic due to high levels of

thiaminase Thiaminase is an enzyme that metabolizes or breaks down thiamine into two molecular parts. It is an antinutrient when consumed. The old name was "aneurinase". There are two types: * Thiamine pyridinylase, Thiaminase I (, ) * Aminopyrimidine ami ...

, 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 ...

. Consumption of large amounts can cause

beriberi Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, r ...

. It has been known to poison

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

, as well as humans, including the leaders of the Burke and Wills expedition.Earl, J. W. and B. V. McCleary. (1994)
Mystery of the poisoned expedition.
''Nature'' 368 683–4. Nardoo must be prepared properly using heat before consumption to destroy the thiaminase.

Earliest Australian record

The earliest specimen in an Australian herbarium is ''

MEL Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

0052999A'', which was collected by

Alan Cunningham General (United Kingdom), General Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham, (1 May 1887 – 30 January 1983) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army noted for his victories over Italian forces in the East African Campaign (World War ...

in 1825 in the

Brigalow Belt South The Brigalow Belt is a wide band of acacia-wooded grassland that runs between tropical rainforest of the coast and the semi-arid interior of Queensland, Australia. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Bri ...

region out of Gunnedah in the locality of

Curlewis Curlewis may refer to : * Curlewis, New South Wales, Australia, in the New England region * Curlewis, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Geelong * 3898 Curlewis, a minor planet People with the surname Curlewis * Adrian Curlewis (1901–1985), Austral ...

.Australasian Virtual Herbarium Record: MEL 0052999A
Retrieved 10 November 2018.

Gallery

File:Marsilea drummondii cropped.jpg File:Marsilea drummondii.jpg File:Marsilea leaves.jpg File:Marsilea prothallus.jpg File:MarsileaDrummondii.JPG File:Marsilea leaf and fiddlehead.jpg

References

External links

Australasian Virtual Herbarium: Occurrence data for ''Marsilea drummondii''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6773957 drummondii Flora of Australia Bushfood Taxa named by Alexander Braun