Propagating Marsilea drummondii (Common Nardoo)

How to propagate common nardoo, a four-leaf clover fern-ally, by dividing its creeping rhizome runners into sections and replanting them to build a low carpet.

Overview

Marsilea drummondii, common nardoo, is an Australian aquatic fern-ally whose fronds carry two pairs of leaflets, giving the familiar four-leaf clover shape. It has a rhizomatous, creeping habit, forming mats on the water surface and ground carpets as floodwaters recede. The species shows considerable morphological plasticity, so leaf form varies with conditions.

In the aquarium it is grown as a low, slow carpeting plant. Because it spreads along a creeping rhizome, it is multiplied by dividing the runners, not by stem cuttings.

Propagation Method

Although nardoo reproduces in the wild via long-lived sporocarps, in cultivation the practical route is vegetative division of the creeping rhizome. Long runners can be cut into small sections and replanted; each rooted node grows into a new patch. Plants may grow in more than one direction from each node, so divided pieces fill in to form a denser carpet.

Step-by-Step

1. Lift an established mat and trace the creeping rhizome runners.
2. Cut the runners into bits of roughly two to five leaves each.
3. Handle gently, since the plant uproots easily and dislodges during planting.
4. Plant the sections every one to two inches, or split into two-leaf segments set about an inch apart in a checkerboard pattern.
5. Press each rooted node into nutrient-rich substrate and keep sections in place until they re-anchor.

Conditions for Healthy Growth

Nardoo thrives in inland Australian wetlands and grows submersed or emersed, reaching depths up to about one metre. Once settled into a rich substrate it grows vigorously both under water and above it. In the aquarium it accepts medium light and does not require CO2, and it is notably drought-tolerant in its emersed form.

Maintenance

Regular pruning promotes denser and often faster growth, as plants branch out from each node. Trim the carpet to keep it low and even, and reuse the cuttings as propagation material. Because it is slow to establish, give new sections time before heavy trimming.

Common Challenges

The biggest hurdle is that nardoo uproots easily, so freshly planted sections drift until they root; small segments and patient handling help. Growth is slow to start, and leaf form changes between submersed and emersed conditions, so early carpets can look uneven until they fill in.