Marsilea drummondii
Encyclopedia
Marsilea drummondii is a species of fern
known by the common name nardoo. It is native to Australia, where it is widespread and common, particularly in inland regions. It is a rhizomatous
perennial aquatic fern
that roots in mud substrates and produces herbage that floats on the surface of quiet water bodies. It occurs in water up to one meter deep. It occurs in abundance after flood
s. It can form mats on the water's surface and cover the ground in carpets as floodwaters recede. It is variable in appearance and occurs in many types of wetland habitat. In general the frond is made up of two pairs of leaflets and is borne erect when not floating.
The plant produces sporocarps
which can remain viable for 50 years and only release spores after being thoroughly soaked. The sporocarps are dispersed
by birds that eat them but cannot digest them, and by flowing water. The sporocarp is used for food by Australian Aborigines
, who collect and grind them to powder which they mix with water to make a dough
. The sporocarp can be toxic due to high levels of thiaminase
, which destroys thiamine
. Consumption of large amounts can cause beriberi
. It has been known to poison sheep, as well as humans, including the leaders of the Burke and Wills expedition
. Nardoo must be prepared properly before consumption to destroy the thiaminase.
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
known by the common name nardoo. It is native to Australia, where it is widespread and common, particularly in inland regions. It is a rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial aquatic fern
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
that roots in mud substrates and produces herbage that floats on the surface of quiet water bodies. It occurs in water up to one meter deep. It occurs in abundance after flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s. It can form mats on the water's surface and cover the ground in carpets as floodwaters recede. It is variable in appearance and occurs in many types of wetland habitat. In general the frond is made up of two pairs of leaflets and is borne erect when not floating.
The plant produces sporocarps
Sporocarp (ferns)
A sporocarp is a specialised type of structure found in some ferns whose primary function is the production and release of spores.Among ferns, sporocarps are found only in the three families of the order Salviniales, a group that is both aquatic and heterosporous. The term actually refers to two...
which can remain viable for 50 years and only release spores after being thoroughly soaked. The sporocarps are dispersed
Biological dispersal
Biological dispersal refers to species movement away from an existing population or away from the parent organism. Through simply moving from one habitat patch to another, the dispersal of an individual has consequences not only for individual fitness, but also for population dynamics, population...
by birds that eat them but cannot digest them, and by flowing water. The sporocarp is used for food by Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
, who collect and grind them to powder which they mix with water to make a dough
Dough
Dough is a paste made out of any cereals or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid. This process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, particularly breads and bread-based items , flatbreads, noodles, pastry, and similar items)...
. The sporocarp can be toxic due to high levels of thiaminase
Thiaminase
Thiaminase is an enzyme that metabolizes or breaks down thiamine into two molecular parts.The old name was "Aneurinase".There are two types: -Sources:Source include:* Bracken , Nardoo and other plants.* Some fish including carp and goldfish....
, which destroys thiamine
Thiamine
Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
. Consumption of large amounts can cause beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
. It has been known to poison sheep, as well as humans, including the leaders of the Burke and Wills expedition
Burke and Wills expedition
In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres...
. Nardoo must be prepared properly before consumption to destroy the thiaminase.