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AquaPlantA Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae
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Purple Fanwort

Cabomba pulcherrima

Purple Fanwort in North America
Purple Fanwort in Southeast US
purple fanwort being held

purple fanwort on pier

What is Purple Fanwort?

Physical Characteristics

  • Purple in color

Leaves:

Submersed:

  • Opposite
  • Whorled
  • Short leaf stalks

Floating:

  • Alternate
  • Leaf blade linear or oval-shaped

Flowers:

  • Single flower at end of long
  • At or above water surface
  • Usually 3 sepals
  • Usually 3 petals
  • Petals alternate with sepals
  • 3-36 stamen
  • Short anthers

Fruit:

  • Does not open to release the seeds when ripe
  • Leathery texture
  • 1-3 seeded

Stem:

  • Rhizomes branching
  • Slender rhizomes

Where Does it Grow?

Purple fanwort can be found in lakes, ponds, and quiet streams.

Pros and Cons of Purple Fanwort

Fanwort has little known direct food value to wildlife. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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