Marsilea quadrifolia L.
Synonymy
Taxon info
Marsilea quadrifolia belongs to a small family of specialized, heterosporous water ferns. It is a semi-aquatic plant, widespread in S Europe and elsewhere in warm-temperate areas but with few localities in Greece. It is a perennial with a creeping rhizome rooted in mud and producing 4-foliolate floating leaves. Bean-like sporocarps develop later in the season when the vernal pool or shallow lake is more or less dried-up. The photo is from Lake Kerkini, where the Marsilea was growing with species such as Nymphoides peltata, Persicaria amphibia and Salvinia natans (another water fern).A
A. Dimopoulos, P., Raus, Th., Bergmeier, E., Constantinidis, Th., Iatrou, G., Kokkini, S., Strid, A. & Tzanoudakis, D. 2013: Vascular plants of Greece: An annotated checklist. 31: p. 350 [Plate 17.1]
