# Marsilea quadrifolia - Four Leaf Clover



## nilocg (Jul 12, 2010)

I havent grown this plant, but from what I have read about it, under water it will look the same, or close to the same as M. Minuta. The only time you will see a four leaf clover is if it is grown emersed.


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

I have a good carpet of it in my 10 gal. It does look like a larger version of the Minueta, or a dark green glosso with larger lobes. It fills in VERY thick if you give it enough chance. If it is under low light, it will occasionally send out a large 4 leaved clover which trys to get to the surface. It is a slow/med. grower.


----------



## nonconductive (Jan 29, 2010)

It's very easy to grow & will occassionaly throw out a submersed 4 lobe leaf.


----------



## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

so basically it sounds awesome! 

I was planning on keeping it in a 5 gallon with a Red Tiger Lotus (yes I know they get big I'm going to be pruning it a lot and possibly moving it to a larger tank eventually) with some rocks covered in Peacock Moss

Does anybody know where I could find this being sold?


----------



## NatCh (Feb 23, 2011)

AquaStudent said:


> Does anybody know where I could find this being sold?


Here is a place or two.

I've been looking it it myself recently. I tried it once before but it was early in my "career" and I was so totally clueless that I couldn't get it planted properly. When I tried again later, I got ahold of the M. hirsuta instead, which (apparently) requires more light and CO2 -- both than M. quadrifolia, and than I had. I only recently realized that I got something different than I meant to the second time. (shrug)


----------



## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I'll check out those sites. I was hoping to find another person on tPt so I could hopefully get a better deal lol

EDIT: I wish they showed how much you were getting


----------



## NatCh (Feb 23, 2011)

Yeah, that's the crux.

The first site of those two, has no minimum order and will ship priority mail for ~$10, so it's a help on the shipping. I've ordered from them that way several times and always been pleased with what arrived.

Of course if another forite has some they want to prune, that's likely to be a much more attractive option.


----------



## Master Se7eN (Aug 23, 2010)

It's a PITA to get it right. It can be an awesome carpet, but getting it to spread right and stay planted is another story. The runners and shoots like to "walk" above the soil. Also grows slowly depending upon your light...

I got allot that I wished I would have given away, but I have so much time invested it's hard to get rid of....


----------



## taniner (Aug 10, 2010)

I have quite a lot of this plant. Let me know how many nodes you might need and I a sell you some. 

Btw mines shoots runners in the substrate and looks very clean. Rare does the runners break out of the soil. I can send you a picture of my foreground if you would like.


----------



## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Yes I would love to see some of this plant in action. I'm actually finding it difficult to get information on this plant.


----------



## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I'd lbe interested in some pics as well. I'm always looking for an easy carpeting plant to grow.


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=313

there is a pic on the species profile on APC plant finder 

The top pic is the right one


----------



## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

I had marsilea quadrifolia and marsilea minuta, and personally I like minuta better. They basically look the same in the same conditions, but minuta seemed to grow better for me in lower light. It grows great and nicely in high light, and both REALLY respond to co2, IME.

Both of them did the same thing to me: it took it about a month before it took off. Whatever conditions it was thrown at. But after that month, it takes off pretty nicely.

Great plants. I like the darker green color they have. Makes a nice contrast to all those brighter green stems and whatnot.


----------



## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

That looks pretty nice. I might giveit a try once I get my 10G all setup.


----------



## Bandit1200 (Dec 11, 2010)

I have this in my high tech 29g tank and ALL of the leaves are the four-leaf type. It does keep sending the runner above the soil, but I just push it down into the substrate.


----------



## ItsDubC (Feb 5, 2008)

Bandit1200 said:


> I have this in my high tech 29g tank and ALL of the leaves are the four-leaf type. It does keep sending the runner above the soil, but I just push it down into the substrate.


I believe Marsilea sp. are much more likely to exhibit their emersed form in the presence of higher CO2 availability (which makes sense). The M. minuta I had in my NPT a few yrs ago was all single-lobed except for one node that had 3 leaves on it.


----------



## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Here's an older image of my 5g tank with a Marsilea Quadrifolia carpet. It's mostly single lobed but there are a few multiple lobbed stems.


----------



## JMN16150 (Jul 21, 2012)

My Marsilea quadrifolia is barely adjusting and is growing submerged leafs...
I have 2, 3, and 4 lobed submerged growth(no 1 lobed growth so far...).
I have found out that if you grow it in low or not that bright light, it can grow a four-leaved clover that could probably grow like a lily pad(how it floats on the surface).(I also like watching your youtube videos)


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Here's my MQ foreground.


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

speedie408 said:


> Here's my MQ foreground.


puts my carpet to shame. I really need to do something about the BBA in mine  it only seems to get on some of the leaves though)


----------



## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

That's a gorgeous tank Speedie! (I bet it'd look better though a Nikon JKJK! ) I love the color contrast between the carpet, hardscape, and background plants. And that's one of the best carpets (I'm assuming MQ) I have ever seen.

JMN - How much lighting do you have above your tank? It may take quite a bit of time to get it running again. I hope it works out for you. Thanks for the support on youtube. I love it when I hear people say that. It really makes you feel good inside


----------



## JMN16150 (Jul 21, 2012)

I know that this is dumb, but I don't know how to answer your question...
I'll try anyways 
My lighting is fluorescent and my aquarium is a 12 gallon Cube Masters tank(Yikes, I heard that the type of tanks was originally for saltwater, but the person that you used the aquarium before I did and gave it to me used it for freshwater, so I thought it was okay...) Sometimes the light is off, sometimes it is on...
So far, my experience for the MQ was that older immersed growth died while the smaller new submerged growth took over...
Some of the growth(leaves) were bigger than others and seem to grow like lily pads going to the surface as seen in the picture, two leaves are growing higher than the other submerged growth which are close to the ground... :thumbsup:
(Excuse the cycling driftwood)Sorry for sideways pics


----------

