Victoria amazonica

Nymphaeaceae

Having spent the last year germinating from these Victoria amazonica seeds, Tropical Spice Garden has the pleasure of presenting the near adult species of this glorious lily. Kenny,  the Garden Curator, has earlier been in touch with Water Garden International after many failed attempts to germinate false, unviable seeds from other questionable sources.

Here’s a little info about these gorgeous lillies – a dynamic, sex changing, colour changing floatable giant lily pad!

It was introduced to the west by Sir Richard Schomburgk. He presented his findings to the London Botanical Society, generating both wonder and excitement. So much so that the plant was named Victoria regia in honor of the British Queen. Later it was changed to Victoria amazonica after its native location. Victoria amazonica comes from equatorial Brazil where it grows in calm waters along the mighty Amazon River.

Victoria's Beauty (pic courtesy of Canon Malaysia who visited April '10)

A notch in the middle of the leaf rim allows rainwater to drain from the surface of each pad. Numerous sharp spines cover the underside of the leaves, the stems, and the flower buds, protecting the leaves from animals and fish.

A web-like structure of hollow ribs are filled with air and provide for exceptional buoyancy. The most spectacular of all is that these pads can grow to about  seven feet in diameter.

Although the plant is mostly grown for its massive leaves, the robust flowers are just as intriguing. Similar in structure to other water lilies in the Nymphaeaceae family, Victoria flowers undergo an interesting “sex reassignment.”

The first evening, a blossom opens which is pure white, and through a thermochemical reaction it actually heats up to as much as 7degC! This assists the release of the flower’s sweet aroma and attracts a scarab beetle pollinator to stay for the night. The first night the flower is effectively female, receptive to pollen brought in by the beetle, but not yet releasing its own pollen. As the flower closes at daybreak, the beetle is trapped inside. Sometime the next day the anthers mature and a sex change occurs. As the confined beetle grazes it becomes covered in fresh pollen. The flower is no longer receptive, limiting the possibility of self-fertilization. The second evening the flower opens at dusk, releasing the powdered beetle to seek out a new receptive flower. A pleasing surprise is still in store for us.

The male flower magically turns a stunning shade of pink, almost magenta!

The first morning white Victoria (maybe we don't have the scarab beetle here in Malaysia?)