Marsilea drummondii Australian Nardoo

Marsilea drummondii — Australian Nardoo — is a native Australian aquatic fern with a fascinating cultural history as an important food source for Aboriginal Australians, who processed its sporocarps to make a gruel. In the aquarium, it forms a creeping carpet of four-lobed clover-shaped leaves that are noticeably broader and more hairy (hence 'hirsuta-like') than those of M. hirsuta, with a soft, felted texture that sets it apart.

In the wild, M. drummondii grows in the ephemeral lakes, channels, and floodplains of arid and semi-arid inland Australia, surviving drought by retreating to its tough, long-lived sporocarps. In cultivation this translates to exceptional hardiness: it tolerates wide fluctuations in water depth, from fully submerged to merely damp, and establishes readily in a range of substrates.

As a foreground aquarium plant, M. drummondii creates a charming, low-maintenance clover carpet at heights of 3–10 cm. It spreads via runners and fills in slowly but steadily without the aggressive growth that can overwhelm low-tech tanks. It is an excellent companion to Marsilea hirsuta and M. crenata.

Light: Low to medium; one of the most shade-tolerant carpeting plants available, excellent for low-tech setups. CO2: Not required; spreads satisfactorily without supplementation under consistent moderate humidity. Fertilisation: Root tabs beside the runners every 10–12 weeks; lean nutrient levels are fine for this species. Placement: Foreground carpet; plant individual runners 3–4 cm apart and allow to colonise the substrate. Propagation: Runners spread naturally; divide established mats and replant sections in new areas.