Marsilea macropoda

Engelmann ex A. Braun in Kunze

in Kunze,Amer. J. Sci. Arts ser. 2, 6: 88. 1848.

Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Plants forming dense clones. Roots arising at nodes. Petioles 5–39 cm, hairy. Pinnae 9–35 × 8–39 mm, conspicuously white hairy abaxially, hairy adaxially; hairs often exceeding margin to make pinnae appear white-margined from above. Sporocarp stalks erect, frequently branched, attached 2–4.5 mm above base of petiole; unbranched stalks or ultimate branches of stalks 8–17 mm; common trunk of branched stalks 1–5 mm (rarely 2–3 unbranched stalks attached separately to same petiole). Sporocarps strongly ascending, 6–9 × 4.5–5.5 mm, 2 mm thick, elliptic or quadrate in lateral view, covered with matted or twisted hairs; raphe 1.6–2.4 mm, proximal tooth 0.4–0.5 mm, blunt, distal tooth absent or present as slightly raised area. Sori 19–23.


Phenology: Sporocarps produced nearly year-round (Feb–Nov).
Habitat: On mud and in shallow water, locally abundant in clay soils of ditches, ponds, marshes
Elevation: 0–400 m

Discussion

Marsilea macropoda is introduced in Alabama and Louisiana.

Marsilea macropoda, with its tall, hairy leaves and branched sporocarp stalks, is a striking and distinctive species, worthy of cultivation. It is sympatric with M. vestita over much of its range, and individuals that appear to be hybrids have been collected in Blanco, Brazos, and Kleberg counties in Texas. These plants combine the large hairy leaves of M. macropoda with the shorter-stalked sporocarps bearing a superior tooth found in M. vestita.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Marsilea macropoda"
David M. Johnson +
Engelmann ex A. Braun in Kunze +
divided +
expanded +
pea--shaped +
dense +  and diffuse +
Ala. +, La. +, Tex. +  and Mexico +
0–400 m +
On mud and in shallow water, locally abundant in clay soils of ditches, ponds, marshes +
twisted +  and white-margined +
heteromorphic +
deciduous +
filiform +
larger +
subterranean +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (39 cm390 mm <br />0.39 m <br />) +
Sporocarps produced nearly year-round (Feb–Nov). +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
hairy;hairy +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3.9 cm39 mm <br />0.039 m <br />) +
in Kunze,Amer. J. Sci. Arts +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br />) +
Illustrated +
quadrate +  and elliptic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
2 +  and 6-9×4.5-5.5 +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
brown +, red +  and numerous +
Marsilea macropoda +
Marsilea +
species +
protruding +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
amphibious +  and aquatic +