Marsilea minuta L.
synonym | Lemma minuta (L.) Desr. ex Lam. |
synonym | Marsilea aegyptiaca Wall. |
synonym | Marsilea brachycarpa A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea brachypus A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea brasiliensis Mart. |
synonym | Marsilea cornuta A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea coromandelica Burm. fil. |
synonym | Marsilea crenata Presl |
synonym | Marsilea crenulata Desv. |
synonym | Marsilea diffusa Lepr. |
synonym | Marsilea diffusa Leprieur ex A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea diffusa var. approximata A. Braun |
synonym | Marsilea diffusa var. cornuta A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea elata var. crenata (C. Presl) Sadeb. |
synonym | Marsilea erosa Willd. |
synonym | Marsilea gracilenta A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea maheshwarii Gupta |
synonym | Marsilea major (Haines) Chowdhury |
synonym | Marsilea mearnsii Christ |
synonym | Marsilea microcarpa A. Br. |
synonym | Marsilea minuta var. indica Gupta |
synonym | Marsilea minuta var. minor Haines |
synonym | Marsilea minuta var. minuta |
synonym | Marsilea perrieriana C. Chr. |
synonym | Marsilea polycarpa Hook. & Grev. |
synonym | Marsilea polycarpa var. mexicana A. Braun |
synonym | Marsilea poonensis Kolhatkar |
synonym | Marsilea sinensis Hand.-Mazz. |
synonym | Marsilea tenax A. Peter |
synonym | Marsilea tetraphylla Thunb. |
synonym | Marsilea vulgaris Bory |
synonym | Zalusianskya coromandelica (Burm. fil.) O. Kuntze |
synonym | Zalusianskya crenulata (Desv.) O. Kuntze |
synonym | Zalusianskya diffusa (A. Br.) O. Kuntze |
synonym | Zalusianskya minuta (L.) O. Kuntze |
synonym | Zaluzianskia polycarpa (Hook. & Grev.) Kuntze |
Malagasy |
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Other |
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Marsilea minuta is a creeping aquatic fern resembling a 4-leaf clover. The leaflets are obtriangular and are arranged crosswise in a horizontal plane. They are carried by a long petiole emerging from a stem or a creeping rhizome in the vase or water. The young stems or young leaves before development form a cross typical of ferns.
First leaves
Some leaves are long-stalked, with 4 terminal leaflets, developing crosswise from a floating rhizome. Leaflets are broadly obovate to triangular with furrowed underside.
General habit
Plant with fine rhizomes, crawling into the vase or floating on water, from which develop long petioles carrying fronds with 4 terminal leaflets arranged crosswise, over the surface of the water.
Underground system
Adventitious fibrous roots at the base of each petiole.
Stem
Horizontal stem is rhizomatous, creeping or floating, thin and twisting , cylindrical, full, more or less branched, sometimes very long (several meters), with multicellular hairs at the apex.
Leaf
Frond with 4 leaflets, broadly obovate to obtriangular, 5 to 20 mm wide and long, floating, arranged in a cross on top of a petiole, 2 to 30 cm long. The apex of the leaflets are rounded or somewhat crenate, and the base is wedged. Both sides are glabrous. The lower face is furrowed with dense linear veins.
Inflorescence
Reproductive system is made up of a lenticular sporocarp, flattened, pubescent inserted (solitary or grouped) at the base of petioles. The dehiscence of the sporocarp is made by two valves. The sporocarp encloses sporangia containing many microscopic spores.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Life cycle
Marsilea minuta is a vivacious plant that can multiply by fragmentation of rhizomes or sexually by spores.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Growth form
Leaf arrangement
Leaf type
Type of prefoliation
Compound leaf type
Latex
Stem section
Root type
Hollow or solid stem
Stipule type
Leaf attachment type
Lamina base
Lamina margin
Lamina apex
Upperface pilosity
Lowerface pilosity
Lamina section
Lamina Veination
Stem pilosity
Stem hair type
Life form
Lowland rice, widespread and common, rarely a serious weed.
Marsilea minuta is a widespread aquatic species in lowland rice fields, marshes and shores of rivers and canals.
China: Rice fields, ponds, ditches; 100-1400 (-2000) m altitude.
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: widespread aquatic species throughout the island except in the South: in lowland rice fields, marshes and shores of rivers and canals.
Mauritius: Species of swampy areas, river and very humid sites. It is unusual.
Mayotte : Marsilea minuta is a cryptogenic species which develops in hydromorphic grounds, on the banks and in the bed of the rivers, and around the wetlands.
Reunion: Species of freshwater aquatic environments, it is uncommon.
Seychelles: Absent.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Habitat
Geographical distibution
Origin
Marsilea minutais native to the ancient tropical world (Africa, Asia, Oceania).
Worldwide distribution
Species introduced in Florida, the Caribbean Islands and at the eastern end of Brazil, Guyana.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Benin: Marsilea minuta is rare and scarce.Burkina Faso: Rare but abundant when present.
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: Marsilea minuta is a very common and abundant weed in rice fields at low altitude, especially in the second season (off season). It rapidly forms a solid stand forming a mat more or less continuous on the surface of the water. Its frequency is very low on Highlands.
Mali: Rare but abundant when present.
Mauritius: This species is not present in crops.
Reunion: This species is not present in crops.
Senegal: Rare but abundant when present.
Seychelles: Absent.
Tanzania: Rare but abundant when present.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Food: The young leaves and stems of Marsilea minuta are eaten as vegetables, raw or steamed.
Fodder: Whole plant is used as livestock feed
Medicinal: In China, the plant is used to treat inflammation, edema, snake bites and skin lesions.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local control
Madagascar: Mechanical and manual weeding is often of limited effectiveness on Marsilea minuta because of the fragility of the plant and its capacity for vegetative propagation.Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Marsilea crenulata https://www.gbif.org/species/5613327
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
- Grard, P., T. Le Bourgeois, J. Rodenburg, P. Marnotte, A. Carrara, R. Irakiza, D. Makokha, G. kyalo, K. Aloys, K. Iswaria, N. Nguyen and G. Tzelepoglou (2012). AFROweeds V.1.0: African weeds of rice. Cédérom. Montpellier, France & Cotonou, Bénin, Cirad-AfricaRice eds.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cédérom. Montpellier, France, Cirad ed.
- Johnson, D.E. 1997. Les adventices en riziculture en Afrique de l'Ouest. ADRAO/WARDA, Bouaké, Côte-d'Ivoire.
- Soerjani M., Kostermans A. J. G. H., Tjitrosoepomo G. 1987. Weeds of rice in Indonesia. Balai Pustaka. Jakarta.
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 687 p.
- Grard P., Homsombath K., Kessler P., Khuon E., Le Bourgeois T., Prospéri J. & Risdale C. 2006. Oswald V.1.0: A multimedia identification system of the major weeds of rice paddy fields of Cambodia and Lao P.D.R. Cirad, Montpellier, France, Cdrom.
- Grard, P., T. Le Bourgeois, J. Rodenburg, P. Marnotte, A. Carrara, R. Irakiza, D. Makokha, G. kyalo, K. Aloys, K. Iswaria, N. Nguyen and G. Tzelepoglou (2012). AFROweeds V.1.0: African weeds of rice. Cédérom. Montpellier, France & Cotonou, Bénin, Cirad-AfricaRice eds.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cédérom. Montpellier, France, Cirad ed.
- Johnson, D.E. 1997. Les adventices en riziculture en Afrique de l'Ouest. ADRAO/WARDA, Bouaké, Côte-d'Ivoire.
- Soerjani M., Kostermans A. J. G. H., Tjitrosoepomo G. 1987. Weeds of rice in Indonesia. Balai Pustaka. Jakarta.
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 687 p.
- Grard P., Homsombath K., Kessler P., Khuon E., Le Bourgeois T., Prospéri J. & Risdale C. 2006. Oswald V.1.0: A multimedia identification system of the major weeds of rice paddy fields of Cambodia and Lao P.D.R. Cirad, Montpellier, France, Cdrom.
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT:
Marsilea minuta https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Marsilea%2520minuta
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Polypodiopsida |
Order | Salviniales |
Family | Marsileaceae |
Genus | Marsilea |
Species | Marsilea minuta L. |