Marsileaceae - Botanical Family

Marsilea hirsuta is a good aquarium plant that is ideal for the foreground in an aquarium setting. It is a short plant with clover-like looks that grows slowly and if planted in groups will form coverage like a carpet in the aquarium. After a transitional period it develops different types of leaves, possibly a low form with single leaves like a large Glossostigma, or alternatively develop two, three or four-lobed leaves varying in height (from 2-10 cm), depending on the growth conditions.

Marsilea mutica can be grown as a potted plant, either just with soil kept wet, or semi-submerged, with fronds emergent from the water, or fully-submerged, with the fronds floating on the surface of the water.

Floating leaves with a distinctive pattern of green, yellow and red mounds up in very shallow water.

Marsilea quadrifolia can be grown as a potted plant, either just with soil kept wet, or semi-submerged, with fronds emergent from the water, or fully-submerged, with the fronds floating on the surface of the water.