Marsilea villosa

Description:

Ihiihi, Ihiihilaukea or Hawaiian waterfernMarsileaceaeEndemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Niihau, extinct?; extant on Oahu, Molokai)Endangered; Oahu varietyWaimea Valley Audubon Center (now Waimea Valley), Oahu (Cultivated)Growing in a man made "vernal pond."Often, Marsilea spp. have been mistakenly sold on the market as "Shamrock" or "Four-leaf Clover." All belong to very different families: shamrock belongs to Oxalidaceae; clover to Fabaceae, peas and legumes; ihiihi to Marsileaceae, water ferns.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 00008nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Marsilea_villosa