''Cabomba'' is a genus of perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herbs in the family Cabombaceae native to tropical and subtropical America. It has divided submerged leaves in the shape of a fan (hence the vernacular name fanwort) and is much favoured by aquarists as an ornamental and oxygenating plant for fish tanks. One species, '' Cabomba caroliniana'', is a nationally declared weed in Australia, where it has choked up waterways after escaping from aquaria.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

''Cabomba'' are perennial, rhizomatous, aquaticPellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.). ''Cabomba'' Aubl. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB6610 herbs''Cabomba'' Aublet - Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). (n.d.). https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/924 with short, brown rhizomes. The roots, which are formed on the lower nodes of the stems,T.D. Stanley & A.E. Orchard. ''Cabomba'', in P.G. Kodela (ed.), Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Cabomba ate Accessed: 06 February 2025 are delicate, brown to white, and branched. The long, cylindrical, flexible,Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. (n.d.). ''Cabomba'' Aubl. Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/taxon/Cabomba.html delicate, branched or unbranched stems are 2–4 mm wide,Ørgaard, M. (1991)
The genus ''Cabomba'' (Cabombaceae)–a taxonomic study.
Nordic Journal of Botany, 11(2), 179-203. and up to 4 m long. Both floating and submerged leaves are present, but only few floating leaves are produced,Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (n.d.). ''Cabomba''. VicFlora Flora of Victoria. Retrieved February 5, 2025, from https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/14a740cd-b533-4c51-a0e4-0175fcc33499 and they may be absent entirely.Fassett, N. C. (1953). A Monograph of ''Cabomba''. Castanea, 18(4), 116–128. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4031558 The submerged leaves are divided into 3–7 dichotomously or trichotomously branched parts.''Cabomba'' in Flora of North America @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2025, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=104954 The floating leaves are inconspicuous.''Cabomba'' in Flora of China @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2025, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=104954

Generative characteristics

The solitary, hermaphrodite, pedicellate, chasmogamous, scentless, actinomorphic, white, yellow, or purple, trimerous or rarely di- and tetramerous flowers extend beyond the water surface. The petals are oval-shaped, and are usually about 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s in that the former have two yellow ear-shaped nectaries at the base. Petals may also have purplish edges. Flowers are protogynous, 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.

Cytology

Various chromosome counts have been observed in ''Cabomba'': 2n = 26, 39, 52, 78, 104.

Taxonomy

It was published by

Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet (November 4, 1720 – May 6, 1778) was a French pharmacist, botanist and one of the earliest botanical explorers in South America.JSTOR He was one of the first botanists to study ethnobotany in the Neotro ...

in 1775. The type species is ''Cabomba aquatica'' Aubl.

Species

The genus ''Cabomba'' Aubl. consists of six extant species: *'' Cabomba aquatica'' Aubl. (fanwort) *'' Cabomba caroliniana'' A. Gray (green cabomba) *'' Cabomba furcata'' Schult. & Schult.f. (red cabomba) *'' Cabomba haynesii'' *'' Cabomba palaeformis'' Fassett *'' Cabomba schwartzii'' Rataj And four fossil species: *'' Cabomba gracilis'' ''Cabomba gracilis'' Newb. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=F77FCE1B-5F22-4EA3-A22E-BE7DED077EBF *'' Cabomba grandis'' ''Cabomba grandis'' Newb. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=63C5D164-498E-4160-B964-A5A2295D89AB *'' Cabomba inermis'' ''Cabomba inermis'' (Newb.) Hollick in Newb. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=E756C876-9AA1-44E0-BC16-97E187BFCABA *'' Cabomba pitonii'' ''Cabomba pitonii'' L. Laurent, Marty in L. Piton. (n.d.). The International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI). Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://ifpni.org/species.htm?id=30D7B8D6-3F0D-C3C7-9E11-A5448E2A3995

Putative hybridisation

It has been speculated, that '' Cabomba haynesii'' may be a result of a hybridisation event involving '' Cabomba palaeformis'' and '' Cabomba furcata''.

Etymology

The generic name ''Cabomba'' may be derived from an aboriginal name of the plant in Guyana.

Distribution

It is native to tropical and subtropical America, and the centre of diversity is Brazil.

Ecology

Pollination

The flowers are pollinated by flies and bees.Matias, L. Q., & Nascimento, H. P. D. (2021)
Flora of Ceará, Brazil: Cabombaceae.
Rodriguésia, 72, e00592019.

Habitat

''Cabomba'' occurs in ponds, floodplains, swamps, and creeks.

''Cabomba'' as an aquarium plant

''Cabomba'' species are popular aquarium plants. ''Cabomba caroliniana'' is easily cultivated and is tolerant of various substrates and temperatures. However, in dimly lit conditions the leaves grow small and the internodes of the stems elongate. By contrast, ''Cabomba furcata'' is considered to be difficult to cultivate in the aquarium, as it requires soft, acid water and a high light intensity.

Invasive species

Use in the aquarium trade has led to some species being introduced to other parts of the world, such as Australia, where '' Cabomba caroliniana'' it is a nationally declared

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. Pla ...

. Having arrived in 1967, it spread rapidly in waterways and out-competed native plants, threatening water supplies, especially along the eastern side of the continent. In Australia, ''Cabomba caroliniana'' has been targeted by both chemical,Day, C., Petroeschevsky, A., Pellow, B., Bevan, J., O’Dwyer, T., St Lawrence, A., & 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.
In Draft paper to 19th Australasian Weeds Conference, Hobart, Australia. and biological control. Herbicide treatment is effective, yet also damages the remaining aquatic flora and fauna. The cabomba weevil ('' Hydrotimetes natans'') is introduced to waterways as a means of biological control of ''Cabomba caroliniana''.Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. (2023, May 9). ''Hydrotimetes natans'' for the biological control of ''Cabomba caroliniana''. Retrieved October 2, 2023, from https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/risk-analysis/biological-control-agents/risk-analyses/completed-risk-analyses/ra-release-hydrotimetes-natans They consume the plant's tips and inflict significant harm when present in large quantities. Larvae burrow within the stems and result in substantial damage to the main stem due to tissue necrosis.Kumaran, N., Vance, T. J., Comben, D., Dell, Q., Oleiro, M. I., Goñalons, C. M., ... & Raghu, S. (2022)
"''Hydrotimetes natans'' as a suitable biological control agent for the invasive weed ''Cabomba caroliniana''."
Biological Control, 169, 104894. Likewise, ''Cabomba furcata'' has become an invasive species in Kerala, India, in the Kalutara district of Sri Lanka,Yakandawala, D. M. D., Yakandawala, K., Madola, I., & Herath, H. M. L. K. (2022)
Would history repeat? Detection of ''Cabomba furcata'', a potential invasive plant in natural ecosystems of Sri Lanka.
Ceylon Journal of Science, 51(2), 155-163. in Chini Lake, Malaysia,Yunoh, S. M. M. (2011, December 28). ''Cabomba furcata'' (Cabombaceae). Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). https://www.mybis.gov.my/art/130 and Taiwan.Wu, S. H., Yang, T. A., Teng, Y. C., Chang, C. Y., Yang, K. C., & Hsieh, C. F. (2010)
Insights of the latest naturalized flora of Taiwan: change in the past eight years.
Taiwania, 55(2), 139-159. Its presence leads to a decline of water quality and biodiversity.Rao, G. P., & Rani, K. S
A report on the biological invasion of alien plant species red ''Cabomba'' in the Kozhikode district of Kerala state and its impact on agro-ecosystem.
Issues in Biodiversity Conservation and Management, 103.

References

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 Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet