Carolina fanwort facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carolina fanwort
Scientific classification
Genus:	Cabomba
Species:	caroliniana

Cabomba caroliniana is a water plant that lives for many years. It grows in water and is native to North and South America. People often call it Carolina fanwort or fanwort. In some places, like Australia and parts of Europe, it is considered an invasive plant. This means it can grow too much and cause problems for local plants and animals.

What It's Called

Cabomba caroliniana has several common names. These include Carolina fanwort, Carolina water shield, green cabomba, fanwort, fish grass, and Washington grass.

Where It Lives

This plant naturally grows in southeastern South America. You can find it in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. It also grows along the East and West Coasts of the United States. In some areas, people even eat it as a vegetable!

How It Grows and Spreads

Fanwort grows rooted in the mud. It likes still or slow-moving water. This includes places like streams, small rivers, lakes, ponds, and ditches. In some parts of the United States, it is now seen as a plant that causes problems, like a weed.

As summer ends, the stems of the fanwort become fragile. They break apart easily. This helps the plant spread to new water areas. While it can grow from seeds, it mostly spreads when pieces of the plant break off and float to new spots. For example, in Lake Macdonald in Australia, it has been reported to grow about 50 mm (2.0 in) (2 inches) every day!

Many fanwort plants are sent from Florida to other parts of the U.S. for sale. It is also grown in Asia and sent to Europe and other places. People who keep fish in aquariums, called aquarists, often use this plant. Sometimes, these aquarium plants can accidentally get into natural waters and start new growths.

What It Looks Like

Fanwort is a plant that mostly stays underwater. It sometimes floats, but its roots are usually in the mud. It has short, delicate underground stems called rhizomes. The parts of the plant that stand upright are extensions of these rhizomes. The shoots can be green, olive-green, or even reddish-brown.

The leaves of the fanwort come in two types:

• Underwater leaves: These are very finely divided, almost like a fan. They grow in pairs along the stem.
• Floating leaves: If present, these leaves are long and thin. They are not very noticeable and grow one after another on the stem. They are usually less than 1⁄2 in (13 mm) long and narrow (less than 1⁄4 in or 6.4 mm). The leaf blade attaches to the center, where it looks a bit pinched.

The flowers are white and small, less than 1⁄2 in (13 mm) across. They grow on stalks that come from the tips of the stems.

• 

  Green and reddish-brown shoots

• 

  Straplike floating leaves with flowers

• 

  Finely-divided submerged leaves

• 

  Submerged leaves protruding above the surface

• 

  Flowers

• 

  Area covered in fanwort with flowers (the larger round leaves are from a different plant)

See also

In Spanish: Ortiga acuática para niños