Plant · GBIF taxon 5274875
Water Clover
Marsilea quadrifoliaAlso known as European Waterclover, Four Leaf Clover, Water Shamrock, Pepperwort
Water clover is a delicate aquatic fern whose floating or emergent four-part leaflets closely resemble a traditional four-leaf clover. Creeping slender rhizomes anchor in soft mud along lake shores, quiet ditches, and rice paddies, producing long-petioled leaves that adapt effortlessly to fluctuating water levels. Drought conditions trigger the formation of tough, bean-shaped sporocarps at leaf bases, allowing the plant to survive desiccation and propagate.
AquaticFernSpore-Bearing
Licensed referenceno rights reserved · cc0
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Waterfowl
- Herbivorous Fish
- Aquatic Snails
ThreatsWetland drainage, aquatic herbicide application, habitat destruction
HabitatsShallow ponds, muddy margins, quiet ditches, rice paddies
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyMarsileaceae
- SpeciesMarsilea quadrifolia
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Submerged vs Emergent: Look for floating leaves in open water or upright leaflets in exposed mud.
- Spore Inspection: Search near rhizomes in late summer for hard, dark, seed-like sporocarps.
- Habitat Location: Check shallow, quiet margins of ponds, agricultural ditches, and slow streams.
Visual Look-Alike Vinayaraj / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative 
Order Salviniales Relative (c) Kevin Thiele, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Order Salviniales Relative (c) Игорь Васильев, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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