Nardoo
Botanical Name
Marsilea mutica
Family
Marsileaceae (nardoo)
Also known as
Water fern, Australian water clover
Where is it originally from?
Australia, New Caledonia
What does it look like?
Floating aquatic fern with four-lobed frond that looks like a four-leaved clover (< cm diameter), floating flat on the water surface or held up on leaf stalks from damp ground; stalks can grow to 1 m long when submerged. Fronds may have red-purple markings which divide the lobes into inner and outer zones of green or a simple two-tone green pattern. Takes root in the soil but mature plants can detach from the soil and form large free-floating 'rafts'
Are there any similar species?
Nardoo can be distinguished from other water ferns/water clovers (Marsilea species) by its two-tone green leaf pattern.
Why is it weedy?
Forms dense mats on the surface of waterways, and rapidly creeps around the edges of waterbodies and wetlands.
How does it spread?
Spreads by rhizomes, and by wind and water movement of free-floating 'rafts' of vegetation.
What damage does it do?
Shades out native, bottom-rooted aquatic plants, and competes with small native plants in wetlands and around lake edges. It can negatively affect recreational use of waterbodies.
Which habitats is it likely to invade?
Wetlands, ponds, calm lake edges in full sun to part shade.
What can I do to get rid of it?
Contact your regional council for more information on responsibility for control and methods to use.
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