Page 6 - Amazonia

6 6 | Amazonia
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The common names for the water lily include
Amazon water-lily,
Victoria-lily, or Giant water lily.

VICTORIA

AMAZONICA

Victoria amazonica is the world’s largest water lily and among the largest in the Nym-
phaeaceae family. The first discovery was in 1801 in Bolivia and it is indigenous to the Ama-
zon River basin’s shallow waters. This species is the national flower of the Republic of Guyana
and appears on the country’s coat of arms. The flower is famous for its enormous circular
leaves. The common names for the water lily include Amazon water-lily, Victoria-lily, or Giant
water lily.
The Giant water lily has large leaves that have a diameter of up to 10 feet, which float on
water, and a submerged stalk that is up to 26 feet long. The leaves start as pointy heads that
expand so fast up to 5 square feet each day. Under the surface, the leaves are red and have
sharp spines that defend the plant from herbivorous fish. The species’ flowers are short-lived
and last about 48 hours, appearing as white when it opens, initially as female. The sweet scent
they emit attracts beetles which carry pollen from other plants. After the transfer of the pol-
len, the flower shuts as fertilization takes place to trap the beetles inside. When the flower
opens the next evening, after transforming to mature male during the day, the beetles fly to
a different white flower. After this process, the flower closes up descending below the water
surface.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/amazing-facts-about-the-victoria-amazonica.html