Marsilea

Marsilea is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns of the family Marsileaceae. The name honours Italian naturalist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1656–1730).

These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ferns. Common names include water clover, four-leaf clover, and clover fern because of the long-stalked leaves which have four clover-like lobes and are present either above water or submerged; however, these plants are not actual clovers (genus Trifolium).

The sporocarps 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.