Marsilea L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 23-24

1. Marsilea L. 4

Leaves long-petiolate; lamina cruciform, consisting of 2 contiguous pairs of opposite, sessile, obdeltate to cuneate leaflets with flabellate, anastomosing venation. Sporocarps brown to blackish with brown hairs, 2-chambered, dehiscent along the ventral suture into 2 valves, stalked or sessile; each chamber with several sori within a delicate indusium.

Plants of this genus are rarely seen and seem to be becoming rarer; they usually occur at irregular intervals. All three species occur in habitats subject to periodic shallow inundation, e.g. water-meadows, rice-fields. Submerged, floating and terrestrial forms, usually sterile, are sometimes found.

1 Sporocarps more or less sessile, obovoid 3. strigosa 1 Sporocarps pedicellate 2 Sporocarpsellipsoid,notsulcate; pedicels10-20mm, 2 -to

4-branched, rarely simple 1. quadrifolia 2 Sporocarps cuboid,sulcate;pedicelsc. 5 mm, simple

2. aegyptiaca