Pillwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pillwort |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pilularia
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| Species: |
globulifera
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Pilularia globulifera, also known as pillwort, is a special type of fern. It belongs to the Marsileaceae family. You can find it growing in western Europe. It likes to live near the edges of lakes, ponds, ditches, and wet marshy areas. It prefers wet clay or clay-sand soil, sometimes even growing in water up to 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) deep.
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What Does Pillwort Look Like?
Pillwort has thin, round, rush-like leaves called fronds. These fronds can grow up to 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) tall. When they first appear, they are curled up like the top of a shepherd's crook.
This plant also has a unique, pea-shaped part called a sporocarp. It's about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. Each sporocarp has four sections, and each section is like a changed leaf. Inside these sections are groups of spores called sori. These sori hold two kinds of spores: large ones (megasporangia) and small ones (microsporangia). This means pillwort produces two different types of spores.
Where Does Pillwort Live?
Pillwort grows in wet, muddy places. It likes the edges of lakes, ponds, and other waterways. These areas must be covered by water for at least part of the year.
Some other plants that often grow near pillwort in the UK include water celery, marsh pennywort, and lesser spearwort. Pillwort seems to grow best in bare spots where there isn't much competition from other plants. This often happens in shallow water at pond edges or in wet grasslands where animals have walked a lot.
The number of pillwort plants can change a lot each year. Sometimes, it seems to disappear from a spot completely. But then, it might pop up again many years later. Cleaning out a ditch, for example, can sometimes make it reappear.
Where Can You Find Pillwort?
Pillwort is a rare plant. Its natural wet homes are shrinking because of pollution and drainage. However, the IUCN Red List says it is of "least concern" globally.
In Northern Ireland, it is listed as a protected species. But it hasn't been seen there since 1970, so it might be gone from that area. In the rest of the UK, it is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There, it is now considered "vulnerable," meaning it's at risk. In almost all the countries where it grows, pillwort is listed as threatened or endangered.
How People Use Pillwort
Pillwort can be grown in a special "bog garden." You can also plant it at the edge of a garden pond.
