Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray. Common name: Fanwort. Phenology: May-Sep. Habitat: Millponds, lakes, slow-moving streams. Distribution: MA, NY, and NJ west to OH, s. MI, and MO, south to FL and TX; also native in s. South America (s. Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and n. Argentina). Additionally sporadically introduced elsewhere from aquarium "throw-outs".
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: C. caroliniana var. pulcherrima R.M. Harper, with pinkish to purplish flowers and purplish vegetative parts (vs. cream-white flowers and green vegetative parts), occurs in the southeastern Coastal Plain; it needs further evaluation. Godfrey & Wooten (1981) implied that the purple pigmentation may be merely an environmental response to warm waters, and is not correlated with morphologic characters. Ørgaard (1991) separated C. caroliniana into 3 varieties, largely separated by flower color: Var. caroliniana, with white flowers, in e. United States and s. South America, var. pulcherrima, with pinkish to purplish flowers, in the deep se. United States only, and var. flavida, with pale yellow flowers, in s. South America only. The geography adds some corroboration to the flower color difference is support of taxonomic recognition at variety rank.
Synonymy ⓘ: = AqW, Ar, C, Can, F, Fl2, FNA3, G, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tn, Tx, Va, WH3; = n/a — Tat; > Cabomba australis Speg. — Fassett (1953); > Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray — Fassett (1953); > Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray var. caroliniana — Mo2, POWO, Ørgaard (1991); > Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray var. flavida Ørgaard — POWO, Ørgaard (1991); > Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray var. pulcherrima R.M.Harper — POWO, Ørgaard (1991); > Cabomba pulcherrima (R.M.Harper) Fassett — Fassett (1953); Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray. Basionym: Cabomba caroliniana A.Gray 1837
Links to other floras: = Cabomba caroliniana - FNA3
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
- Great Plains: OBL
- Midwest: OBL
- Northcentral & Northeast: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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