Marsileaceae
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Water clover family
Marsileaceae
デンジソウ科
Aquatic or wetland heterosporous ferns. Leaves consist of four leaflets arranged in a clover-like pattern (Marsilea). Sporangia are enclosed in specialized hard, bean-shaped sporocarps that withstand desiccation. In Japan, Marsilea quadrifolia grows along rice paddies and pond margins but is currently endangered.
Key Characteristics
- ●Heterosporous (megaspores and microspores)
- ●Sporangia enclosed in sporocarps (hard, pod-like structures)
- ●Aquatic or semi-aquatic
- ●Leaves with 4 leaflets (clover-like) or 1 leaflet
Phylogenetic Position
Vascular plants > Polypodiophyta > Polypodiopsida > Salviniales > Marsileaceae
Divergence Era
Cretaceous (ca. 100 million years ago–)
Representative Genera
デンジソウ属（Marsilea）タチデンジソウ属（Pilularia）
Related Evolution Events
- ・Complete adaptation to aquatic environments
- ・Evolution of sporocarps (hard pods) as a desiccation-resistant spore protection mechanism
Plants in Water clover family on this site
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