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 leaves of the genus Marsilea superficially resemble the leaves of a four-leaf clover. In all, the family contains 3 genera and 50 to 80 species with most of those belonging to Marsilea.
Zamia furfuracea is a species of cycad endemic to southeastern Veracruz state in eastern Mexico.
A hydrosere is a plant succession which occurs in an area of fresh water such as in oxbow lakes and kettle lakes. In time, an area of open freshwater will naturally dry out, ultimately becoming woodland. During this change, a range of different landtypes such as swamp and marsh will succeed each other.
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).
Marsilea villosa, the ʻihiʻihi (Hawaiian) or villous waterclover (English), is a species of fern that is endemic to the islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi and Niʻihau in Hawaii. It is found exclusively in areas that experience periodic flooding and become ephemeral pools within low elevation dry forests and shrublands. Standing water allows the sporocarp to open and release spores. It also enables the resulting sperm to swim toward and fertilize female ova. For new plants to become established, the waters must subside. Sporocarps only form once the soil has dried to a certain level. Like other species in its genus, the leaves of M. villosa resemble those of a four-leaf clover.
Aponogeton crispus, the crinkled aponogeton or ruffled sword plant, is an aquatic plant species in the family Aponogetonaceae.
Ceratopteris thalictroides is a fern species belonging to the genus Ceratopteris, one of only two genera of the subfamily Parkerioideae of the family Pteridaceae.
Marsilea drummondii is a species of fern 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. It occurs in abundance after floods. 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.
Aponogeton ulvaceus is a submerged aquatic plant in the Aponogetonaceae family. It has a small cone shaped, slightly hairy rhizome about 30 mm in diameter. The leaf blades have a base that tapers gradually, pale green in colour, over 50 cm (20 in) long and 8 cm (3 in) broad, with a wavy margin on petioles of an equal length, and in appearance slightly translucent. A single bulb may produce up to forty leaves in good conditions. No floating leaves are formed. The yellow flowers are produced on one or two, and sometimes more, erect spikes.
Aponogeton undulatus is a species of aquatic plant, sometimes used in aquariums. Some taxonomists consider this should be under the name Aponogeton stachyosporus.
Pilularia americana, the American pillwort, is an unusual species of fern. The fronds essentially consist of the petioles only, any form of flattened laminae having been lost. It is in the aquatic fern family Marsileaceae, and is related to the water clovers and also to Azolla and Salvinia.
Sceptridium dissectum is a common fern in the family Ophioglossaceae, occurring in eastern North America. Like other plants in this group, it normally only sends up one frond per year. It has long been the subject of confusion because the frond presents in one of two forms, either the normal form that resembles other plants in the genus, or the skeletonized form.
Bolbitis heteroclita is an aquatic fern species of Bolbitis, it is native to Southeast Asia and Melanesia, as well as parts of northeastern South Asia, southern East Asia, and Micronesia. It is commonly cultivated as an aquatic ornamental for aquariums and garden ponds.
Marsilea crenata is a species of fern found in Southeast Asia. It is an aquatic plant looking like a four leaf clover. Leaves floating in deep water or erect in shallow water or on land. Leaflets glaucous, sporocarp ellipsoid, on stalks attached to base of petioles.
Pilularia globulifera, or pillwort, is an unusual species of fern in the family Marsileaceae. It is native to western Europe, where it grows at the edges of lakes, ponds, ditches and marshes, on wet clay or clay-sand soil, sometimes in water up to 30 cm (12 in) deep.
Acrostichum aureum, the golden leather fern, is a large species of fern that grows in mangrove swamps and other wet locations. Other common names include swamp fern and mangrove fern.
Marsilea ancyclopoda, common name tropical water clover, is a plant species native to the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere. It is widely distributed through Latin America from Mexico to Argentina, as well as from the West Indies. In the United States, it has been reported only from Florida, southern New Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Marsilea minuta, or dwarf waterclover is a species of aquatic fern in the family Marsileaceae. It is not to be confused with Marsilea minutaE.Fourn. 1880, which is a synonym for Marsilea vestita. Other common names include gelid waterklawer, small water clover, airy pepperwort, and pepperwort, though the lattermost also applies to plants in the genus Lepidium. In French it is called marsilea à quatre feuilles and petite marsilée, the latter appearing to be a calque with the Latin botanical name. In Chinese it is 南国田字草, literally "southern field word grass," referencing the similarity of the leaflet shape to the Chinese character for "field." The Koch Rajbongshi people and Garo people call it shusni shak. It is called 'শুশনি শাক' in Bengali. In parts of India it can be called sunisanakka In Indonesian it is semanggi, but this name also applies to Marsilea crenata. In Japanese it is nangokudenjiso and in Thai it is phakwaen. In Malaysian it is tapak itik. In the Philippines it is kaya-kayapuan.
Marsilea mutica, known as the large-leaved nardoo, is a species of aquatic fern in the family Marsileaceae. A widespread species with wide clover like fronds, found in freshwater marshes, mostly in Australia and nearby New Caledonia. Seen in floating in deeper water than other ferns in the same genus.
