Marsilea minuta is a small aquatic fern with four-leaflet fronds like a clover, found in paddy fields, ditches and tank margins. In Tamil Nadu its young fronds are cooked as aarai keerai. A related Australian species, nardoo, became famous when explorers who ate it improperly prepared developed thiamine deficiency. It is a fern people eat, but only cooked.
- Botanical name
- Marsilea minuta L.
- Family
- Marsileaceae
- Tamil
- Aarai
- Hindi
- Chowpatri
- Parts used
- Young fronds
- Habit
- Water-clover fern; araikeerai is an Amaranthus
- Last updated
- 2026-10-26
How to recognise Aarai
It is a small fern with creeping stems rooting in mud or shallow water.
Each frond has four fan-shaped leaflets at the top of a slender stalk, arranged like a four-leaf clover. The leaflets fold together at night.
Hard, bean-like spore cases, called sporocarps, grow near the base of the stalks.
It is a fern, not a clover. True clovers have three leaflets and pea-like flowers.
Traditional use of Aarai
Tamil kitchen
Aarai keerai is cooked into kootu, poriyal and soups in Tamil Nadu, and it is also eaten in Bengal and Odisha.
South and East Indian food practice
Ayurveda
It appears in classical lists as sunishannaka, used for sleep and nervous complaints.
Ayurvedic materia medica
Modern notes on Aarai
Marsilea contains thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1. Cooking inactivates it, which is why proper preparation matters.
Laboratory studies of extracts report calming effects in animals, but there are no reliable human trials.
Aarai safety
Always cook the fronds. Do not eat it raw or as a daily staple.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows in shallow water and wet mud across Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
It is common in rice fields, where farmers often treat it as a weed.
Its sporocarps can survive drought for years and germinate when water returns.
Related plants
Questions about Aarai
Is Aarai a clover?
No. It is an aquatic fern.
Is aarai keerai safe to eat?
Yes, cooked, as part of a mixed diet.
Is Aarai araikeerai?
No. Araikeerai is an amaranth; the names are similar.
Where does Aarai grow?
In paddy fields, ditches and tank margins across India.
Sources
- Marsilea minuta L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q15249917 (Marsilea minuta)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.