pg . 74
NQ DRY TROPICS WEED FREE
CABOMBA
Cabomba caroliniana
DESCRIPTION
Cabomba is a perennial fully submerged aquatic plant . It can be either free floating or attached to the waterway floor . It does well in both cool and warm waters . Stems grow up to 10 metres long and stems and leaves have a thin gelatinous coating . Leaves are submerged and have a 3 centimetre stalk . They are arranged opposite each other on the stem and repeatedly divided to form feathery , fan-shaped structures up to 5 centimetres across . Flowers grow above the water surface and usually have white or cream petals with a yellow base , but this may vary . It flowers during summer and autumn from December to May . Habitat it grows in ponds , lakes , dams and slow moving streams . Weed characteristics its rapid growth allows it to dominate native vegetation and obstruct waterways . Cabomba quickly forms a dense monoculture choking out native plants , birds , fish and reptiles . Dispersal it generally roots in water 1 to 3 metres deep but can continue to grow free floating if uprooted .
CABOMBA
WATER WEEDS
BIOSECURITY MATTER
Restricted . This species is Category 3 Restricted matter under Queensland Legislation . This species is also listed a Weed of National Significance ( WONS )
HOW TO ACT
Best form of control is prevention . Mechanical removal is the only widespread treatment , however this is costly . Hand pulling by divers can be effective for small infestations . Draining the water from the infected area can be effective if area dries out completely , but take care not to allow plant fragments to enter any other water body . Shading out is effective to control small areas , with revegetation of riparian areas a good long term solution . Chemical control has been carried out successfully in some areas but high risk of off target species impacts and water quality issues .