Cabomba aquatica is a rhizomatous, perennial, aquatic herb in the family Cabombaceae native to South America. It occurs in fresh standing water or in lakes and rivers with slight currents.
Description Vegetative characteristics Cabomba aquatica is a rhizomatous,Die Riesen-Haarnixe - Cabomba aquatica. (2021, February 5). Aquarium Ratgeber. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.aquarium-ratgeber.com/aquarienpflanzen/pflanzen-vz/haarnixe/riesen-haarnixe/ perennial,Government of Singapore. (n.d.-a). Cabomba aquatica Aubl. NParks Flora Fauna Web. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/5/9/5991 aquatic herb with green to red, up to 1.5 m long stems.De Saint Sauveur, T. (2019). Le Larousse des Poissons et Aquariums. p. 324. Larousse.Wilstermann-Hildebrand, M. (n.d.-a). Gattung Cabomba - Haarnixen. Heimbiotop. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.heimbiotop.de/cabomba.html#aquatica Both submerged and floating leaves are produced. The finely divided, reniform, 4–5 cm long, and 6 cm wide submerged leaves are trichotomously branched.Henkel, F., Rehnelt, F., Dittmann, L., Dittman, L. (1907). Das Buch der Nymphaeceen oder Seerosengewächse. p. 34. Deutschland: F. Henkel. The orbicular to broadly elliptic floating leaves,Lima, C. T. D., Santos, F. D. A. R. D., & Giulietti, A. M. (2014). Morphological strategies of Cabomba (Cabombaceae), a genus of aquatic plants. Acta Botanica Brasilica, 28, 327-338. which are produced towards the apex of the shoot, with an entire margin are 5–20 mm long, and 4–15 mm wide. The petiole is 9.0–55.0 mm long.BARBOSA, T. D., TRAD, R. J., BAJAY, M. M., ZUCCHI, M. I., & DO AMARAL, M. D. C. E. (2018). Reestablishment of Cabomba schwartzii (Cabombaceae), an aquatic plant species endemic to the Brazilian Amazon. Phytotaxa, 367(3), 245-255. Generative characteristics The golden yellow, solitary, bisexual, diurnal, incompletely protogynous, nectariferous,Silva, J. B. D., & Leite, A. V. D. L. (2011). Reproductive biology and pollination of Cabomba aquatica (Cabombaceae). Rodriguésia, 62(4), 919-926. 0.5–1.1 cm wide flowerPellegrini, M. O. O. & Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. (n.d.-a). Cabomba aquatica Aubl. Flora E Funga Do Brasil. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB6611 extends beyond the water surface.Siber. (1892). Cabomba aquatica Aubl. (Villarsia aquatica Willd.). Gartenflora Zeitschrift Für Garten- Und Blumenkunde, 41, 350–352. It has 3(–4) 3.7–3.8 mm long, and 1.4–2.1 mm wide sepals. The androecium consists of (3–)6 bright yellow stamensSiti Munirah Mat Yunoh (2011, November). Cabomba aquatica. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://www.mybis.gov.my/art/122. with 2.5–4 mm long filaments. The very large, elongate, monosulcate pollen grains are 71.8–88.3 μm long, and 38.9–48.4 μm wide.Remizowa, M. V., Sokoloff, D. D., Macfarlane, T. D., Yadav, S. R., Prychid, C. J., & Rudall, P. J. (2008). Comparative pollen morphology in the early-divergent angiosperm family Hydatellaceae reveals variation at the infraspecific level. Grana, 47(2), 81-100. The gynoecium consists of 2–3(–4) carpels. Each fruit bears a single oval, black, 2–3.5 mm long, and 1.5–2.5 mm wide seed. The fruit develops underwater. Cytology The chromosome count is 2n = 52.Ørgaard, M. (1991). The genus Cabomba (Cabombaceae)–a taxonomic study. Nordic Journal of Botany, 11(2), 179-203. The chloroplast genome of Cabomba aquatica is 159487 bp long.Gruenstaeudl, M., Gerschler, N., & Borsch, T. (2018). Bioinformatic workflows for generating complete plastid genome sequences—an example from Cabomba (Cabombaceae) in the context of the phylogenomic analysis of the water-lily clade. Life, 8(3), 25.
Taxonomy It was published by Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet in 1775.Aublet, Fusée. (1775). Histoire des plantes de la Guiane Françoise : rangées suivant la méthode sexuelle, avec plusieurs mémoires sur différens objects intéressans, relatifs à la culture & au commerce de la Guiane Françoise, & une notice des plantes de l'Isle-de-France ... (Vol. 1, p. 321). P. F. Didot jeune. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/362297Cabomba aquatica Aubl. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/605272-1Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-e). Cabomba aquatica Aubl. Tropicos. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/22600062 It is the type species of its genus.Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-f). Cabomba Aubl. Tropicos. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/40033874 Etymology The specific epithet aquatica means growing in or near water.Ipomoea aquatica. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b142 Relationship with Cabomba schwartzii The controversial species Cabomba schwartzii is often included in Cabomba aquatica, but it may represent a separate species. Cabomba schwartzii reportedly differs from Cabomba aquatica in the number of floral organs, yet this may be attributed to intraspecific variation.
Distribution It is native to the North of South America, namely Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.Cabomba aquatica Aubl. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:605272-1 It has been introduced to Bangladesh and Malaysia.European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). (n.d.). Cabomba aquatica (CABAQ). EPPO Global Database. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/CABAQ
Ecology Pollination The flowers are pollinated by bees, wasps, and flies. Habitat It occurs in stagnant or flowing water in ponds, floodplains, lakes, creeks, and swamps in bright light conditions.Barbosa, T. D., Trad, R. J., Bajay, M. M., & Amaral, M. C. (2015). Microsatellite markers isolated from Cabomba aquatica sl (Cabombaceae) from an enriched genomic library. Applications in plant sciences, 3(11), 1500076.
Use Aquarium It is used as an aquarium plant,Cabomba aquatica - Feinblättrige Haarnixe. (n.d.). Flowgrow. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://www.flowgrow.de/db/wasserpflanzen/cabomba-aquatica but it is difficult to cultivate. It requires a high light intensity,Allgayer, R. (2006). Plantes d'aquarium. Frankreich: Artémis. soft, slightly acidic water, and temperatures of 18–26 °C.Cabomba aquatica. (n.d.). B-Aqua. Retrieved February 16, 2025, from https://www.b-aqua.com/pages/Plantsfiche.aspx?id=1091 Algae can be a challenge in cultivation by covering submerged leaves and damaging the plant. Likewise, it may be harmed by fish in the aquarium,Indiviglio, F. (2006). The Everything Aquarium Book: All You Need to Build the Acquarium of Your Dreams. USA: F+W Media. or too strong water currents. Model organism It has been explored to use Cabomba aquatica as a potential model organism for studies of early angiosperm evolution.Vialette-Guiraud, A. C., Alaux, M., Legeai, F., Finet, C., Chambrier, P., Brown, S. C., ... & Scutt, C. P. (2011). Cabomba as a model for studies of early angiosperm evolution. Annals of Botany, 108(4), 589-598.
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