Description
Vegetative characteristics
Cabomba caroliniana var. caroliniana is an aquatic, [4] perennial herb [4] [5] with green to reddish brown, [6] branched, up to 10 m long, [4] and 1–2 mm wide stems. [7] The petiolate, [8] fan-shaped, [4] dichotomously or trichotomously divided submerged leaves with slim, linear lamina segments [8] are 6–7 cm wide. [7] The relatively few, narrowly elliptic, [8] peltate, green floating leaves are 5–20 mm long, and 1–3 mm wide. [6] Floating leaves may be absent entirely. [4] [7]
Generative characteristics
The solitary, [4] pedicellate, [7] white, 6–15 mm wide flowers [6] float on the water surface, or extend 2–4 cm above it. [4] The flowers have three [6] white or cream, [8] obovate to elliptic, 5–12 mm long, and 2–7 mm wide sepals. [6] The three [6] white or cream, [8] elliptic-obovate petals are 4–12 mm long, and 2–5 mm wide. [6] The androecium consists of 6 stamens with 4 mm long filaments. [7] The gynoecium consists of 2–4 carpels. [8] The fruit with a recurved pedicel [7] bears ellipsoid-oblong to ovate, 1.5–3 mm long, and 1–1.5 mm wide seeds. [6]
Cytology
The chromosome count is 2n = ca. 78, ca. 104. [6]
Distribution and habitat
It is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the USA. [1] It has been introduced to Australia, [8] [7] Austria, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, [1] Serbia, [14] Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, and the UK. [1]
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