Marsilea minuta L.

Family: Marsileaceae

Synonym: Marsilea aegyptica Wall.

Bengali/Vernacular name:Susni sak.

Tribal name: Mring blu (Marma), Susnisak (Tripura).

English name:Water clover.

Description of the plant: A perennial fern with slender, rooted, creeping, branching rhizomes bearing erect leaves (sterile fronds) along their length. The leaves, which consist of four, ‘clover-like’ leaflets at the apex of a slender erect stalk, arise along the length of each rhizome, margin entire or crenate. At the base of the petioles the sporocarps are formed on about 5 mm long stalks. The sporocarps 3-4 mm long, oblong with rounded ends, with their long axis at right angles to the stalk.The bean-shaped sporocarps contain both megasporangia and microsporangia.

Plant parts used: Leaf.

Herbal uses:Decoction prepared from leaves of the plant is taken once a day at night for 15 days to treat asthma.

Fresh juice extracted from the leaves of the plantis mixed with sugar then the mixture is taken for the treatment of high blood pressure.

The leaves of the plant are pounded, cooked with rice and then eaten for the treatment of indigestion.

The plant is cooked and taken as vegetable to relief hypertension, sleeping disorders, and headache. 

Leaf decoction is taken once a day for 5 days to treat dysuria.

The leaf juice is used to stop nose bleeding.

Decoction prepared from leaves of the plantis used to treat cough and other respiratory troubles.

Leaf juice is applied to the affected area to treat insect bite.

The leaves are rolled in a leaf of Shorea robusta; the whole is then boiled and then applied to swollen gums in order to reduce the swelling

Decoction made from the leaves of the plant is mixed with cow milk,and it is taken for one week to treat insomnia.

The fern is recommended for the treatment of psychopathy, diarrhoea, respiratory diseases, and skin diseases

Distribution: The species is found in Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Manikganj districts.

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