Victoria amazonica (Poepp.) J.C.

Sowerby

Giant Water Lily

Victoria amazonica is a species of
flowering plant, the largest of the
Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies.
The species has very large leaves,
up to 3 m in diameter, that float on
the waters surface on a submerged
stalk, 78 m in length. The species
was once called Victoria regia after
Queen Victoria, but the name was
superseded. V. amazonica is native
to the shallow waters of the Amazon
River basin, such as oxbow lakes
and bayous.
It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. The flowers are white the first night they
are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 40 cm in diameter, and
are pollinated by beetles. This process was described in detail by Sir Ghillean Prance
and Jorge Arius. In the wild the giant waterlily is a short-lived perennial.
The spectacular flowers are relatively shortlived, lasting only 48 hours or so. The flower is white the first evening it opens, attracting beetles with a sweet pineapple-like
scent and with heat from a thermochemical
reaction. At this stage the flower is female,
and is open to receiving pollen picked up by
the beetles on other plants. During the following day the plant changes from female
to male: the anthers mature and start producing pollen. When the flower reopens on
the second evening it has changed color to
purplish red and no longer emits attractive
scent or heat.

The beetles, dusted with their pollen,

fly off to find another white flower
on a different plant (each plant only
ever has one white flower at a time),
where the process is repeated. The
flower then closes up and sinks below the surface of the water, its mission accomplished. The seeds of this
species can be roasted and eaten.

The enormous circular leaves, which grow to over 2.5 m across, have upturned rims
and are anchored by long stalks arising from an underground stem buried in the mud
of the river bottom. The leaves first appear as spiny heads but expand rapidly up to
half a square metre per day. The upper surface has a rather quilted appearance and a
waxy layer that repels water. The purplish red undersurface has a network of ribs clad
in abundant sharp spines, possibly a defence against herbivorous fishes and manatees.
Air trapped in the spaces between the ribs enables the leaves to float. They are so
buoyant that they can easily support the weight of a small child, and a mature leaf can
support 45 kg if the load is evenly distributed. In a single season, each plant produces
some 40 to 50 leaves, which cover the water surface and exclude light, thus restricting the growth of most other plants.

Created by : Rikho Jerikho