Herbs perennial, aquatic. Stems slender, branched, rhizomatous, repent; internodes at first elongate and apically floating, later erect, foliate, and shortened. Leaves dimorphic. Submersed leaves (Cabomba only), opposite or sometimes whorled, palmately dissected. Floating leaves alternate, peltate, entire. Flowers solitary, axillary from distal nodes, short to long pedunculate, bisexual, hypogynous, actinomorphic, borne at or above water surface; perianth persistent. Sepals 3, separate or nearly so. Petals 3, distinct, alternating with sepals. Stamens 3--36(--51), anthers dehiscent by longitudinal slits. Pistils 3--18, simple, obclavate or ventricose. Ovary 1-loculed; ovules 1--3, pendulous. Styles short. Stigmas capitate or linear-decurrent. Fruit achenelike or folliclelike, coriaceous, indehiscent. Seed endosperm little, perisperm abundant; embryo minute; cotyledons 2, fleshy.
Two genera and six species: tropical and temperate regions; two genera and two species in China.[1]
Herbs, young vegetative parts often with rust-colored pubescence, barely mucilaginous. Leaves submersed and floating; petiole short to long. Submersed leaves: blade in 3-7 dichotomously [trichotomously] branched, linear segments. Floating leaves: blade terminal, linear-elliptic [broadly elliptic], margins entire or notched at base, appearing only during flowering, inconspicuous [more evident in C. aquatica, a tropical species]. Flowers: sepals 3, petaloid, obovate; petals 3, oval, with proximal, yellow, nectar-bearing auricles, base clawed; stamens 3-6, opposite petals; pistils [1-]2-4, simple, 1-locular; ovules [1-]3[-5]; stigma capitate. Fruits elongate-pyriform, tapered to apex. Seeds ovoid [somewhat globose], tuberculate. x = 13.
Species 5: mostly tropical regions, Western Hemisphere.[2]
There are approximately 28 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus: C. aquatica · C. aubletii · C. australis · C. callistegioides · C. caroliana · C. caroliniana (Carolina Fanwort) · C. caroliniana A.Gray 'Silbergrüne' · C. caroliniana A.Gray var. caroliniana Gray · C. caroliniana var. caroliniana · C. caroliniana var. flavida (Carolina Fanwort) · C. caroliniana var. paucipartita · C. caroliniana var. pulcherrima · C. caroliniana var. pulcherrrima · C. furcata (Forked Fanwort) · C. grandis · C. haynesii (Fishgrass) · C. inermis · C. palaeformis · C. peltata · C. piauhiensis · C. piauhyensis · C. piauhyensis f. albida · C. pinnata · C. pubescens · C. pulcherrima · C. schwartzii · C. viridifolia · C. warmingii
There are approximately 37 species and subspecies in this genus: P. albicans · P. albicans dentata · P. armigera (Thicklip Rams-Horn) · P. armigera palustris · P. armigerus · P. armigerus crassilabris · P. armigra · P. campectris · P. campestris (Meadow Rams-Horn) · P. christyi · P. chrystyi · P. crassilabris · P. dentata · P. duryi · P. duryi normale · P. haranensis · P. havanensis · P. indianensis · P. jenkesii · P. jenksi · P. jenksii · P. kuehniana · P. kuhniana · P. liebmani · P. liebmanni · P. mojavensis · P. obstructa · P. obstructus · P. orbuculus · P. pallida · P. parvus · P. rollandi · P. segmentina · P. segmentina obstructa · P. stagnicola · P. tumidus · P. wheatleyi
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