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Species of the month

Giant Amazonian Water Lily

Some facts on this lily:

Leaf diameter: Up to 3 m.

Range: Amazon River basin, Brasil.

First described: By the German botanist, zoologist and explorer Eduard Friedrich Poeppig in 1836, who originally named it Euryale amazonica.

Can you imagine a single plant-leaf that can support a weight of 60 kg.? A leaf of Victoria amazonica easily can. This plant has huge floating circular leaves with upturned rims which are anchored to the river bottom bylong stalks arising from an underground mud-buried stem. The leaves start their growth as spiny heads but expand rapidly up to half a square meter per day. The purplish red under-surface has a network of ribs clad in abundant sharp thorns to defend against herbivorous fishes and manatees. Air trapped in the spaces between the ribs gives the leaves their tremendous buoyancy. In a single season, each plant produces between 40 and 50 leaves, which cover the water surface and prevent light from reaching down, thus restricting the growth of most other plants and algae. Flowers bloom during only two days and change color when pollinated from white to a pinky purple in a symphony of colors. Victoria amazonica was first named Victoria regia after Queen Victoria of England and later on changed to Amazonica to reflect its Amazonia origin.