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.

Kuan Ke-chien. 1979. Nymphaeaceae subfam. Cabomboideae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 27: 5–6.

Two genera and six species: tropical and temperate regions; two genera and two species in China.

(Authors: Fu Dezhi; John H. Wiersema)