''Cabomba'' is an aquatic plant genus, one of two belonging to the family

Cabombaceae The Cabombaceae are a family of aquatic, herbaceous flowering plants. A common name for its species is water shield. The family is recognised as distinct in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV system (2016). The family consists of two genera of ...

. It has divided submerged leaves in the shape of a fan (hence the

vernacular name A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

fanwort) and is much favoured by aquarists as an ornamental and oxygenating plant for fish tanks. Use in the aquarium trade has led to some species being introduced to other parts of the world, such as Australia, where they have become weeds.

Species

*'' Cabomba aquatica'' Aubl. (fanwort) *'' Cabomba caroliniana'' A. Gray (green cabomba) *'' Cabomba furcata'' Schult. & Schult.f. (red cabomba) *'' Cabomba haynesii'' *'' Cabomba palaeformis'' Fassett

''Cabomba'' as an aquarium plant

''Cabomba'' is frequently planted in aquaria, as an attractive-leaved water plant that is fast-growing (up to one inch per day). Green cabomba (''C. caroliniana'') is the most common, and the easiest aquarium subject. By contrast, red cabomba (''C. furcata'') is considered to be one of the hardest plants to care for in the aquarium.

Flowers and reproduction

The

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

of ''Cabomba'' is either trimerous (having members in each whorl in groups of three) or bimerous (in groups of two) with white, oval-shaped petals, and is usually about 2.0 cm across when fully developed. The petals are unlike the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s in that the former have two yellow ear-shaped

nectaries Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...

at the base. Petals may also have purplish edges. Flowers are

protogynous Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...

, having primarily female sexual structures on the first day of appearance and then switching to male on the second and subsequent days. Flowers emerge and are designed to be pollinated above the waterline. Principal pollinators are flies and other small flying insects.

References

* Ørgaard, M. (1991). The genus ''Cabomba'' (Cabombaceae) - a taxonomic study. Nordic Journal of Botany 11: 179-203
Day, C., Petroechevsky, A., Pellow, B., Bevan, J., O’Dwyer, T., StLawrence, A. and Smith, G. (2014). Managing a priority outlier infestation of ''Cabomba caroliniana'' in a natural wetland in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia – could this be eradication? Draft Paper to 19th Australasian Weeds Conference, Hobart, Australia.
* Fassett, N.C. 1953. A monograph of Cabomba. Castanea

External links

InvadingSpecies.comUnited States Department of Agriculture, Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN): ''Cabomba''

Information about Cabomba for Aquarium Hobbyists
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1074847 Nymphaeales genera Freshwater plants Nymphaeales Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Christian Fusée-Aublet