Marsilea villosa

Description:

Ihiihi, Ihiihilaukea or Hawaiian waterfernMarsileaceae (pepperwort family)Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Niihau, extinct?; extant on Oahu, Molokai)EndangeredOahu (Cultivated); Oahu varietyImmature sporocarps (spore case) are villous or hairy; mature sporocarps loose their hair and are bald, or nearly so, when ripe. The Molokai variety, at least under cultivation, appears to retain the hairs more than the Oahu variety.EtymologyThe generic name Marsilea is named for Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli or Marsili (1656-1730), Italian botanist at Bologna.The Latin specific epithet villosa, hairy, in reference to the hairy rhizomes and sporocarps.NPH 00004nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Marsilea_villosa