Marsilea
3430826
199552246
2008-03-20T08:35:55Z
Chris CII
1391575
Dewikifying a circular reference
{{Taxobox
| name = Marsilea
| image = Marsilea_Hawaii.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Marsilea villosa''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Pteridophyta]]
| classis = [[Pteridopsida]]
| ordo = [[Salviniales]]
| familia = [[Marsileaceae]]
| genus = '''''Marsilea''''' [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text.
}}
'''Marsilea''' is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic [[fern]]s of family [[Marsileaceae]].
These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ferns. The long-stalked leaves have four clover-like lobes and either held above water or submerged, hence the common names such as "water clover" and "four-leaf clover".
The [[sporocarp]]s 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.
Sporocarps of some Australian species, e.g. ''Marsilea drummondii'' are edible and have been eaten by Aborigines and early white settlers.
A few species of marsilea, e.g. ''[[Marsilea crenata]]'', ''Marsilea drummondii'', ''[[Marsilea exarata]]'' and ''[[Marsilea quadrifolia]]'' are grown in [[aquaria]].
==See also==
* [[Burke and Wills]]
* [[Bush bread]]
==References==
*Mabberley, D.J. (1997). ''The Plant-Book''. Cambridge University Press.
*Edmund Russow: ''Histologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Sporenfrucht von Marsilia.'' Dissertation. Dorpat 1871 ([http://www.utlib.ee/ekollekt/vanadisser/russow2.pdf PDF])
* Johnson 1986 Systematics of the New World species of Marsilea. Syst. Bot. Monog. 11:1-87.
[[Category:Pteridophyta]]
[[es:Marsilea]]
[[fr:Marsilea]]
[[id:Semanggi]]
[[ja:デンジソウ]]
[[ro:Marsilea]]
[[fi:Marsilea]]