Cabomba caroliniana var. caroliniana is a variety of the species Cabomba caroliniana in the family Cabombaceae native to the regions spanning from central and eastern USA to northeast Mexico, and Brazil to Central Argentina.
Cabomba caroliniana var. caroliniana is an aquatic, perennial herb with green to reddish brown, branched, up to 10 m long, and 1âÂÂ2 mm wide stems. The petiolate, fan-shaped, dichotomously or trichotomously divided submerged leaves with slim, linear lamina segments are 6âÂÂ7 cm wide. The relatively few, narrowly elliptic, peltate, green floating leaves are 5âÂÂ20 mm long, and 1âÂÂ3 mm wide. Floating leaves may be absent entirely.
The solitary, pedicellate, white, 6âÂÂ15 mm wide flowers float on the water surface, or extend 2âÂÂ4 cm above it. The flowers have three white or cream, obovate to elliptic, 5âÂÂ12 mm long, and 2âÂÂ7 mm wide sepals. The three white or cream, elliptic-obovate petals are 4âÂÂ12 mm long, and 2âÂÂ5 mm wide. The androecium consists of 6 stamens with 4 mm long filaments. The gynoecium consists of 2âÂÂ4 carpels. The fruit with a recurved pedicel bears ellipsoid-oblong to ovate, 1.5âÂÂ3 mm long, and 1âÂÂ1.5 mm wide seeds.
The chromosome count is 2n = ca. 78, ca. 104.
It is an autonym. Some sources regard the variety Cabomba caroliniana var. pulcherrima as synonymous to Cabomba caroliniana var. caroliniana.
The varietal name caroliniana means from the Carolinas.
It is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the USA. It has been introduced to Australia, Austria, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, and the UK.
The flowers are insect-pollinated.
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in aquaria and in ponds.