Marsilea minuta
L.
Marsileaceae
Marsilea minuta is quite close to Marsilea quadrifolia, and in fact specimens of Marsilea from China seem intermediate between the two species in sporocarp size and peduncle attachment. Study of a wide range of Old World material of Marsilea would be required, however, to resolve the question of whether Marsilea quadrifolia and Marsilea minuta represent distinct species[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
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- Author
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- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
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- Year
- 0
- ISBN
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- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].
Marsilea crenulata Desv.
Marsilea diffusa Lepr.
Marsilea perrieriana C.Chr.
Marsilea polycarpa Hook. & Grev.
Common Name: Water Clover
Plants growing in shallow water
Photograph by: LiChieh Pan
General Information
Water clover is a small, creeping fern with erect 4-foliolate leaves, arising solitary from the nodes on a long creeping rhizome, rooting at the nodes
Water clover is planted as an ornamental pot plant and is used more commonly as a garden plant for pond decoration[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Marsilea minuta has a wide native range. It is the most widely distributed and common fern in India with few or no threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
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- Author
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- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
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- Year
- 0
- ISBN
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- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Widely spread throughout Africa, including Madagascar and the Comoros; also found widely through tropical Asia.
Habitat
Shallow pools; edges of rivers; rocks underneath waterfalls; water holes; seasonally dried up river beds; seasonally flooded grassland depressions; rice fields. Often forming large and dense colonies[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
]..
Properties
Weed Potential | Yes |
Conservation Status | Least Concern |
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Habit | Fern |
Height | 0.00 m |
Cultivation Details
The plant can become a nuisance in wet rice fields, because it forms large and dense colonies[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Edible Uses
The bright green leaves are tender and are eaten as a potherb[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Medicinal
The extract of whole plants is used as aphrodisiac and for increased fertility[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The leaves are pounded, cooked with rice and then eaten as a treatment for indigestion[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The leaf juice is used to stop nose bleeding[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The leaves are rolled in a leaf of Shorea robusta, the whole is then boiled and then applied to swollen gums in order to reduce the swelling[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
When fed to gerbils, a leaf extract reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood and liver substantially. Moreover, the treatment prevented the accumulation of these compounds in the liver and aorta and dissolved atheromatous plaques of thoracic and abdominal aortas[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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