Monilophytes (ferns): Leptosporangiate Ferns (true ferns): Salviniales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Marsilea mutica
FAMILY
Marsileaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Leaves of Marsilea mutica are strongly bicolored (pale green toward the base of each of the 4 leaflets, darker green toward the tip), vs. those of other Marsilea in our area unicolored). It is apparently spreading rapidly in VA, per Weakley's Flora (2023)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Marsilea mutica
FAMILY
Marsileaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Marsilea mutica
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Marsilea mutica
COMMON NAME:
Australian Waterclover, Nardoo
NameThatPlant has no pictures at this time. You might try this link: Flora of the Southeastern United States
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Marsilea mutica
FAMILY
Marsileaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Marsilea mutica
FAMILY
Marsileaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Marsilea mutica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Marsilea mutica
3838
Fern/Fern ally; Emergent aquatic (rooted)
Perennial
Habitat: Ditches, ponds, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Australasia
Waif(s)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Southeast
LEAVES:
Evergreen, but dormant in cold weather? Leaves deciduous in temperate regions?
Each leaf (frond) palmately divided into 4 leaflets, resembling a 4-leaf clover
FRUIT:
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas (Diggs & Lipscomb, 2014) p172
- Ferns of Alabama (Short & Spaulding, 2012) p293
- New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018) p099
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".