Summary ⁷

Marsilea vestita (commonly known as water clover or hairy water clover) is a four-leaf clover-like plant but is interestingly related to the fern family. It is native to New Mexico and lives in wet areas like ponds and rivers. It can grow very vigorously if not kept in check.

Botanical Information ⁸

The water clover is a native plant to New Mexico. It can grow to 8 inches tall. It is a four leaf clover that lives in the water, and is green all the way through. The water clover is a bright lightish green. This plant is part of the robust perennial which means a plant that has a normal 2 year lifespan.

Ecological Information ⁹

Water clover lives in wet areas like ponds and rivers. It can also live in woodlands that have water.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁹

Water clovers can be used as medicine to treat many issues including Anti-Inflammatory disease, as a diuretic, depurative (herbs that are considered to have purifying and detoxifying effects. ), Febrifuge (a medicine used to reduce fever), is a refrigerant chemical that produces a cooling effect while expanding or vaporizing, (Herbs). Water clovers are also used to treat snake bites. Did you know that this plant can be made into a juice? Water clovers can be a risk to our health if you eat too much. Water clovers contain Thiaminase which steals our body's vitamin B. Vitamin B helps your blood stay healthy and it helps make DNA.

References ⁹

“Plant Database.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=mama9.

“Medicinal Herbs Water Clover Marsilea Quadrifolia.” Medicinal Herbs: WATER CLOVER - Marsilea Quadrifolia, www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/m/marsilea-quadrifolia=water-clover.php

About the Author ⁹

Student author*: Bryan (age 13) and Forrest (age 12) from Albuquerque Sign Language Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting.

Sources and Credits

1. no rights reserved, uploaded by Carrie Brown
2. (c) Millie Basden, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Millie Basden
3. (c) Rob Irwin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rob Irwin
4. (c) Susan Bury, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Susan Bury
5. (c) Jed Aplaca, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jed Aplaca
6. (c) Sara Ayers, all rights reserved, uploaded by Sara Ayers
7. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. Adapted by smiller33 from a work by (c) Sara Ayers, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
9. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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