Victoria Regia is a record-breaking water lily. Interesting news from around the world

Wouldn’t you also like to ride the river waves with the breeze? If yes, then rejoice - dreams come true! An amazing plant, Victoria regia, grows in the rivers of South America - the largest water lily in the world. It can become an excellent water transport for You and Your friends.

The water lily received this unusual name in 1837 in honor of the young English Queen Victoria, who ascended the throne that same year.

It's hard to believe, but the water lily can withstand weight up to 50 kilograms. How is this possible? But the fact is that the leaves of Victoria regia have certain “ribs”. If you look closely at the photo of the inside of the water lily, you will notice that one petiole is attached to the middle. If the river is deep, it will be longer, if shallow, it will be shorter. Numerous veins extend from the center - thick and thin. They form a kind of grid. It becomes clear why this miracle water lily is so strong!

The diameter can reach 2 meters. That's why locals sometimes use it instead of a single-seater boat to get to the other side of the river.

The impressively sized water lily was first discovered by the German naturalist Eduard Pelling in 1832. This happened near the place where the Tefe River merges with the beautiful Amazon.

The Victoria Amazonian flower (this is its second name) blooms once a year and only at night, and early in the morning its petals close and it hides under water. The water lily blooms for three days, gradually changing the color of the flower from soft white to pink or purple. Then the flower hides under the water and never comes to the surface again.

Victoria Regia flowers bloom one at a time. One flower contains many longitudinal petals - there can be up to 60 of them. The diameter of the flower when opened can reach 30 cm. Victoria Amazonian flowers also have a very pleasant aroma.

Underwater, the flower closes and turns into a fruit. The seeds ripen in it. Local people collect them, dry them and then fry them. The dish tastes like corn, which is why Victoria Regia is sometimes called “water maize” (corn). But it turns out that not only the seeds of this plant are edible: its root is dried, ground, and then this flour is used for baking.

This unusual plant can only be found on the Amazon River in Brazil and Bolivia, as well as in the rivers of Guyana (South America). Victoria Amazonica no longer grows anywhere in the world.

The royal plant is very capricious in terms of lighting and air temperature, so it is very difficult to grow it at home. Victoria regia has been cultivated for quite a long time, but not everyone who wants to see this miracle in their pond can grow it (let alone wait for it to bloom).

The first person who was able to grow Victoria Amazonia to gigantic size and achieve flowering was Joseph Paxton. The secret was that the plant needed a swampy area, and in winter it needed to heat the water.

The water lily has reliable protection from herbivorous fish - the outer side of its leaves is covered with large, sharp spines. Victoria Amazonian can live as long as 5 years. Its leaves with curved edges resemble saucers, from which excess water flows out through small holes on the sides. Locals call the plant “apona,” which means “bird frying pan.” They really are very similar, aren't they?

Due to its colossal size, Victoria Region was even included in the Guinness Book of Records as “the largest flower plant on the ground".

Interestingly, this incredibly beautiful plant inspired architects who used images of Victoria regia leaves in the architecture of the Crystal Palace, built in 1851 in London's Hyde Park.

Divine flower!

Do you think the Giant Victoria of the Amazon can withstand humans?

Now we find out...

Victoria amazonica, also called Victoria regia ( Latin name“Victoria amazonica”) is a huge herbaceous plant belonging to the water lily family. Victoria amazonica is essentially the largest water lily in the world. Its leaves can reach three meters in diameter and an adult can easily fit on them.

They can hold such a mass due to unusual hollow ribs that strengthen the sheet. In addition, the edges of the water lilies are curved upward, which allows them not to sink. Interestingly, the lower part of the Victoria regia leaf is completely covered with thorns.

They protect the plant from herbivores and fish. Victoria amazonica is perfectly adapted to life in the humid tropical climate of South America. Water lilies are strewn with special holes through which the plant gets rid of excess moisture.

Victoria Region is known throughout the world thanks to its extraordinary big leaves, but her flowers are also worthy of admiration. Flowering occurs only for two to three days once a year.

At the same time, fragrant white and pink flowers appear above the water only at night. As soon as it gets light they go under water. Interestingly, like the leaves, the flowers of Victoria regia are also quite large. Their diameter ranges from twenty to thirty centimeters.

It is also noteworthy that on the first day of flowering the bud has White color, on the second a pink tint appears, and on the third the flower may turn crimson or even dark purple. After this, the flower hides under the water and does not appear again.

Gradually it turns into a large fruit from which small black seeds appear. However experienced gardeners they achieve flowering of Victoria Amazonian for a long time, namely from the end of July to October.

For example, she can withstand such a person...

Already in November of the same year, the first description of a giant water lily was published in one of the German scientific journals. However, the discovery of this amazing plant went unnoticed.

It became widely known when the German botanist Robert Schomburgk discovered it in British Guiana. That's what he gave detailed description, and also classified Victoria region.

What is noteworthy is that, unlike many other plants, the giant water lily was named not in honor of the discoverer, but in honor of the English Queen Victoria, who was on the throne at that time. The young queen was so flattered that she even elevated Schomburgk to the title of baronet.

The main struggle broke out between the Duke of Devonshire and the Duke of Northuberland. As a result, Joseph Paxton, Duke of Devonshire, was able to achieve flowering. This happened in 1849. It was thanks to the Duke that gardeners all over the world learned what conditions the cultivation of Amazonian Victoria requires.

It turns out that in order for a plant to grow to gigantic sizes, and even bloom, it is necessary to place it in a swampy environment, and in winter time years to provide water heating. Soon Victoria regia was talked about all over the world and it became the most popular plant for cultivation in home artificial ponds.

In addition, the giant water lily became a source of inspiration for architects; images of ribbed leaves were used in the architecture of the Crystal Palace, built in Hyde Park in 1851.

The daughter of the Indian chief was so amazed by this belief that she began to go out every night and ask the moon to turn her into a star. But the heavenly body did not seem to notice her, although the girl’s crying could be heard many kilometers away. One night the girl saw the reflection of the moon in the lake, she threw herself into it and drowned. It was then that the moon turned its attention to the girl and, as a reward for her sacrifice, turned her into a star.

But not the one that illuminates the night sky, but the one that illuminates the surface of the water. The girl became the most beautiful water lily. However, the beautiful legend did not prevent the Indians from using Victoria Region as boats. With the help of huge water lilies they crossed from one bank to the other. In addition, they used the ground rhizomes of the plant as flour.

Wild Victoria region lives up to five years; at home, its life period is halved. Now there is a new wave of interest in this plant. Many people dream of seeing giant water lilies in their home pond. However, despite the fact that it has been cultivated for quite a long time, not everyone can still grow Victoria regia.

This plant is very sensitive not only to air temperature, but also to the soil of the bottom, as well as to lighting. Today, special light filters are used to grow it, which imitate the shadow of a tropical forest. Perhaps with the development of these new technologies, luxury - admire it most amazing plant South America in own garden, will be available to everyone.

Perhaps with the development of these new technologies, the luxury of admiring this most amazing plant of South America in your own garden will be available to everyone.

The surface of the Amazonian water lily can support loads of up to several tens of kilograms. It is only necessary to correctly distribute the center of gravity.

About this unusual feature water lilies are well known local residents. Therefore, they occasionally use water lilies as a means of transport for crossing small rivers.

At the end of the last century, similar attempts were made by the Columbia Botanical Garden. And in 1975, one of them was crowned with success. And after 20 years, with the help of special light filters, it was possible to grow a new full-fledged plant. Now in this botanical garden every parent can take a photo of their infant on the huge leaves of the regal Victoria.

It also grows in other botanical gardens. In particular, in the Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg, where Victoria Amazonia has been grown since 1864.

This is what Vladimir Kozhevnikov, director of the Stavropol Botanical Garden, wrote in 2008:

“The miracle that was awaited in the botanical garden for exactly 3 years has happened - Victoria Regia has bloomed.”

Victoria is growing at fabulous speed. Just two months ago, the water lily was brought in a small thermos the size of a five-kopeck coin. Now the leaves of this plant already occupy half of the pool.

Vladimir Kozhevnikov - director of the Stavropol Botanical Garden:

“Every person who comes to us is told about the children these leaves can support, up to 36 kg. And there are even some that can withstand up to 60 kg.”

The bud opens at ten in the evening, from that moment the real masquerade begins. Processes occur inside the flower, as a result of which the temperature rises and the acidity of the petals changes. Because of this, their color changes. At first the color is white, and by the end of the second night the petals of the water lily are dark purple.

Vladimir Ivanovich knows many flower scents, but the water lily, he says, has a special smell.

Vladimir Kozhevnikov:

“Somewhat peppery smell, i.e. pungent, pungent-sweet odor. These are the smells of the south, not the north.”

The water lily can only be propagated by seeds, and since there are no natural pollinators in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden, the employees themselves have to pollinate it. The nearest botanical garden where the royal water lily grows is in St. Petersburg. But there, says Vladimir Ivanovich, this plant blooms during the day.

So that as many visitors as possible can see this miracle of nature, Stavropol botanists plan to move the flowering time of Victoria Regia to daytime. For this purpose we have already purchased additional fluorescent lamps.

A beautiful Brazilian fairy tale about the birth of Victoria Regia.

This happened, as the old sorcerers say, at the dawn of the world in one primitive tribe, in the middle of the year, when the bisexual deity of the Moon was in male form. And the Moon only pretended to go beyond the horizon, but in fact took refuge among the mountains and united there with happy girls whom he chose as his wives on earth.

They said that the kisses of the bisexual deity transformed the bodies of chosen virgins into light, the scarlet color of the girl’s blood turned pale from his touch, and the fresh pink flesh melted. And the deity hid, carrying away the happy lovers in voluptuous embraces, and then left his brides, already deprived of their mortal shell, on the wedding bed of high clouds.

Naya passionately dreamed of getting rid of coarse earthly flesh for the sake of eternal divine existence in heaven.
The crazy girl spent all her nights among the hills, now stretched out on the moonlit slopes, now climbing up, now sometimes falling off the slope, and laughing, and sobbing, and sometimes singing something in delirium.

One day, when madness completely clouded her mind, Naya saw the sparkling image of the husband of her dreams in the serenely calm mirror of a mountain lake. Drawn by love and madness, deceived by the reflection of her ever-eluding lover, she threw herself into the lake, stretching out her arms in anguish to finally embrace her beloved.

For many days afterwards, the people of her tribe fruitlessly searched for the missing Naya in the dark forests.
But in those days the gods were kind and merciful. And therefore, the Moon, which gave birth to rivers, fish and aquatic plants, wanted to reward the girl for her terrible sacrifice. No, the bisexual deity did not ascend her to heaven, but turned her into a “star of the waters,” transforming the lily of her soul into a royal flower, a wondrous solemn song of beauty and aroma.

From the snow-white, exhausted body of the unfortunate Indian woman arose mysterious plant; the boundless purity of a loving soul blossomed into a huge fragrant flower, and the pain that tormented the poor girl became thorns guarding it. The generous creator enlarged the leaves of the giant water lily as much as possible so that she could more fully feel the caresses of the moonlight and the gentle touches of her lover.

At night, Naya opens a light outfit of long petals and receives the opal kisses of moonlight on the wedding bed of motionless waters.

This is how Victoria Regia was born.

Video:

Everyone has probably seen water lilies or lilies. This plant is not uncommon in our reservoirs. But few people know that far in the subtropics it has a giant relative that you can ride on like a raft.

In the first photo you can see the “belly” of this plant, that is, the part that is under water.

Let's learn more about this plant, and at the end you can watch an amazing video of the process of how these huge water lilies grow!

Victoria Amazonica, also called Victoria regia (Latin name “Victoria amazonica”) is a huge herbaceous plant belonging to the water lily family. Victoria amazonica is essentially the largest water lily in the world. Its leaves can reach three meters in diameter and an adult can easily fit on them. They can hold such a mass due to unusual hollow ribs that strengthen the sheet. In addition, the edges of the water lilies are curved upward, which allows them not to sink. Interestingly, the lower part of the Victoria regia leaf is completely covered with thorns. They protect the plant from herbivores and fish. Victoria amazonica is perfectly adapted to life in the humid tropical climate of South America. Water lilies are strewn with special holes through which the plant gets rid of excess moisture.

Victoria regia is known throughout the world for its unusually large leaves, but its flowers are also worthy of admiration. Flowering occurs only for two to three days once a year. At the same time, fragrant white and pink flowers appear above the water only at night. As soon as it gets light they go under water. Interestingly, like the leaves, the flowers of Victoria regia are also quite large. Their diameter ranges from twenty to thirty centimeters. It is also noteworthy that on the first day of flowering the bud is white, on the second a pink tint appears, and on the third the flower can turn crimson or even dark purple. After this, the flower hides under the water and does not appear again. Gradually it turns into a large fruit from which small black seeds appear. However, experienced gardeners achieve flowering of Victoria Amazonian for a long time, namely from the end of July to October.

Today Victoria regia is one of the most popular greenhouse plants. But two hundred years ago, few people knew about it. The plant was discovered only in 1832. This was done by the German scientist Eduard Pepping, who traveled through the Amazon. Already in November of the same year, the first description of a giant water lily was published in one of the German scientific journals. However, the discovery of this amazing plant went unnoticed. It became widely known when the German botanist Robert Schomburgk discovered it in British Guiana. He then gave a detailed description, and also classified Victoria region. What is noteworthy is that, unlike many other plants, the giant water lily was named not in honor of the discoverer, but in honor of the English Queen Victoria, who was on the throne at that time. The young queen was so flattered that she even elevated Schomburgk to the title of baronet.

Soon after the discovery, English gardeners began to make the first attempts to cultivate the plant. A kind of competition even broke out between them. The winner would be the one who managed not only to grow Victoria regia, but also to make it bloom. The main struggle broke out between the Duke of Devonshire and the Duke of Northuberland. As a result, Joseph Paxton, Duke of Devonshire, was able to achieve flowering. This happened in 1849. It was thanks to the Duke that gardeners all over the world learned what conditions the cultivation of Amazonian Victoria requires. It turns out that in order for a plant to grow to gigantic sizes, and even bloom, it is necessary to place it in a swampy environment, and in the winter season, provide heating of water. Soon Victoria regia was talked about all over the world and it became the most popular plant for cultivation in home artificial ponds. In addition, the giant water lily became a source of inspiration for architects; images of ribbed leaves were used in the architecture of the Crystal Palace, built in Hyde Park in 1851.

But the indigenous peoples of South America knew about Victoria of the Amazon and admired her from time immemorial. The Indians even have a legend associated with this plant. It says that every morning, when the moon disappears in the sky, she meets one of her favorite girls, turned into stars. The daughter of the Indian chief was so amazed by this belief that she began to go out every night and ask the moon to turn her into a star. But the heavenly body did not seem to notice her, although the girl’s crying could be heard many kilometers away. One night the girl saw the reflection of the moon in the lake, she threw herself into it and drowned. It was then that the moon turned its attention to the girl and, as a reward for her sacrifice, turned her into a star. But not the one that illuminates the night sky, but the one that illuminates the surface of the water. The girl became the most beautiful water lily. However, the beautiful legend did not prevent the Indians from using Victoria Region as boats. With the help of huge water lilies they crossed from one bank to the other. In addition, they used the ground rhizomes of the plant as flour.

In nature, Amazonian Victoria can be found in tropical reservoirs where there is a muddy bottom. Most often, such places are present in rivers flowing into the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia. Also, giant water lilies grow in the rivers of Guyana, which flow into the Caribbean Sea. Wild Victoria region lives up to five years; at home, its life period is halved. Now there is a new wave of interest in this plant. Many people dream of seeing giant water lilies in their home pond. However, despite the fact that it has been cultivated for quite a long time, not everyone can still grow Victoria regia. This plant is very fastidious not only to air temperature, but also to the soil of the bottom, as well as to lighting. Today, special light filters are used to grow it, which imitate the shadow of a tropical forest. Perhaps with the development of these new technologies, the luxury of admiring this most amazing plant of South America in your own garden will be available to everyone.

This is what I wrote in 2008
“The miracle that was awaited in the botanical garden for exactly 3 years has happened - Victoria Regia has bloomed.”

Victoria is growing at fabulous speed. Just two months ago, the water lily was brought in a small thermos the size of a five-kopeck coin. Now the leaves of this plant already occupy half of the pool.

Vladimir Kozhevnikov - director of the Stavropol Botanical Garden:
“Every person who comes to us is told about the children these leaves can support, up to 36 kg. And there are even some that can withstand up to 60 kg.”

The birthplace of this water lily is the waters of the Amazon. The edges of the leaves are curved upward, their lower surface is equipped with powerful thorns - these are devices for protection against waterfowl pests. The water lily received its name “royal”, which is how the name Victoria-Regia is translated, thanks to its flowers. The bud opens at ten in the evening, from that moment the real masquerade begins. Processes occur inside the flower, as a result of which the temperature rises and the acidity of the petals changes. Because of this, their color changes. At first the color is white, and by the end of the second night the petals of the water lily are dark purple.

Vladimir Ivanovich knows many flower scents, but the water lily, he says, has a special smell.

Vladimir Kozhevnikov - director of the Stavropol Botanical Garden:
“Somewhat peppery smell, i.e. pungent, pungent-sweet odor. These are the smells of the south, not the north.”

The water lily can only be propagated by seeds, and since there are no natural pollinators in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden, the employees themselves have to pollinate it.

The nearest botanical garden where the royal water lily grows is in St. Petersburg. But there, says Vladimir Ivanovich, this plant blooms during the day.

At home, in the tropics, Victoria grows more than twelve leaves. In this case, a new leaf appears every two to three days. It begins to unfold during the day and reaches its normal size overnight. The entire surface of the river is completely covered with huge two-meter circles, and there is no room left for other aquatic plants. Only the tiniest things get along with Victoria flowering plant of our planet - wolfia .

A beautiful Brazilian fairy tale about the birth of Victoria Regia.

Wonderful dreams of a divine spouse bewitched the fair-skinned, golden-haired beauty Naya, the daughter of a venerable tribal leader. When night fell and sleep enveloped the village, and the loving deity bent low to the ground and seemed to touch the distant mountain peaks, the distraught Naya climbed the hills, yearning for the desire to surrender to the sparkling, luminous caresses that the elders told about.
They said that the kisses of the bisexual deity transformed the bodies of chosen virgins into light, the scarlet color of the girl’s blood turned pale from his touch, and the fresh pink flesh melted. And the deity hid, carrying away the happy lovers in voluptuous embraces, and then left his brides, already deprived of their mortal shell, on the wedding bed of high clouds.
This is how stars were born.

Naya passionately dreamed of getting rid of coarse earthly flesh for the sake of eternal divine existence in heaven.

The crazy girl spent all her nights among the hills, now stretched out on the moonlit slopes, now climbing up, now sometimes falling off the slope, and laughing, and sobbing, and sometimes singing something in delirium.

But in those days the gods were kind and merciful. And therefore, the Moon, which gave birth to rivers, fish and aquatic plants, wanted to reward the girl for her terrible sacrifice. No, the bisexual deity did not ascend her to heaven, but turned her into a “star of the waters,” transforming the lily of her soul into a royal flower, a wondrous solemn song of beauty and aroma.
From the snow-white, exhausted body of the unfortunate Indian woman, a mysterious plant emerged; the boundless purity of a loving soul blossomed into a huge fragrant flower, and the pain that tormented the poor girl became thorns guarding it. The generous creator enlarged the leaves of the giant water lily as much as possible so that she could more fully feel the caresses of the moonlight and the gentle touches of her lover.

At night, Naya opens a light outfit of long petals and receives the opal kisses of moonlight on the wedding bed of motionless waters.

This is how Victoria Regia was born.

There are many plants in nature. Special attention deserves "Victoria Regia", which is the largest and most popular water lily in the world. ABOUT appearance, the structure of a flower, read the article.

What family does the water lily belong to?

"Victoria regia" belongs to the largest family of Nymphaeaceae, in which there are six genera. One of them is the water lily, which has up to fifty species. It has a wide distribution area. "Victoria regia" grows on what continent? It grows in the south of Latin America and in the forest-tundra of different continents with warm climates. This is a cosmopolitan plant.

Due to its wide geographical distribution, the flower grows in environments with varying weather conditions. On what continent does Victoria Regia grow? It can be found in the reservoirs of the tropics of South America, where the water temperature reaches thirty-three degrees. Here the water lily is white. Grows in the European territory of the former Soviet Union, around sixty-eight degrees northern latitude. The water lilies of this area are pure white in color. In winter, reservoirs freeze, but it does not suffer from this, its viability remains.

Water lilies are hydrophytic plants, that is, their habitat is water. But the water lily is often called an “amphibian” - an amphibious plant that can live in water and on land, provided that the water level in the reservoir is lowered.

Rhizome of a flower

Water lily "Victoria regia" is a perennial herbaceous plant with a powerful creeping rhizome formed from the stem and leaves arranged in a spiral. There are scars on the surface of the rhizome. These are traces of leaves that once fell and have undergone changes.

The rhizome reaches three meters in length and ten centimeters in thickness. It has the ability to grow on the very surface of the soil or at a shallow depth. The rhizome has white or yellow roots, which are called adventitious. They are very fleshy and strong, so they are firmly attached to the soil, receiving from it all the substances necessary for growth.

Underwater water lily leaves

This flower has two types of leaves. Some grow underwater, others float on the surface. The underwater leaves are transparent, heart-shaped, pale green in color and begin to develop in the spring. The broadly-lanceolate underwater leaves have a filmy structure with parallel veins.

The leaves curl up and form a kind of cap, under which there are rhizome growth points. Inside the cap there are flower buds and leaves, which in the future become above-water, but at the beginning of growth are under water.

Floating leaves of a flower

When the underwater leaves are fully formed, the main leaves begin to develop: floating or above-water, as they are also called. They have an original rounded oval shape with a deep heart-shaped neckline. The upper surface of young leaves is covered with a reddish coating, but over time it becomes dark green. It has a waxy coating and is very smooth.

On the lower surface there are many veins and hairs that secrete mucus, which increases buoyancy and protects the leaf from the process of rotting. This surface has a lilac color. The leaves are planted on long petioles, the size of which is directly related to the depth of the reservoir in which the Victoria regia flower grows. The leaf of the small water lily reaches twenty centimeters in diameter, while that of the white and pure white water lilies reaches twenty-five centimeters.

The largest water lilies in the world have leaves that reach three meters in diameter. A person can be placed on their surface. This is achieved through ribs (they are hollow) along the entire circumference of the sheet and upward-curved edges. The entire surface of the leaves is strewn with holes through which excess moisture. Water lilies have adapted to the humid climate of the tropics of South America. They feel great there.

Plant flowers

The water lily "Victoria regia", a photo of which is presented in the article, blooms with single flowers, which can be very large. They are located on a long peduncle, reaching five meters. The bisexual flowers have a double perianth with five large sepals. There are many petals, they have a tiled structure. The calyx has green color, and the fruit with a diameter of ten centimeters is shaped like a jug.

In the first half of summer, the rhizome produces a peduncle on which there is a blooming flower. It opens early in the morning if the weather is good, and always at the same time. Closes when it gets dark or rains. After closing, the peduncle becomes shorter and the flower sinks into the water.

The water lily blooms once a year, and for a short time, only two or three days. On the first day the petals are white, on the second - with a pinkish tint, and on the third - crimson or purple. After the flower has shown all its colors, it hides under water and no one else will see it. Here it produces a fruit with black seeds.

Habitat

Motherland giant flower- Amazon. "Victoria Region" where does it grow? Its habitats are Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. The natural habitat is deep-water lagoons formed by large tributary rivers of the Amazon with a muddy bottom.

Water lilies are frequent guests in a botanical garden or greenhouse, where they are grown artificially. Here they are - annual plants, which is associated with difficulties in winter.

The depth of growth of water lilies in nature varies, from twenty centimeters to three meters. At great depths, only underwater leaves are formed, and even then they die. Water lilies may have a terrestrial form of the vegetative part, which may form due to the drying out of the pool.

But in any case, these flowers grow next to the pond. The ground form of water lilies has short petioles and very hard leaves. Their surface on the upper side is brown-red in color. These leaves are smaller in size.

Water lilies prefer windless places in bodies of water where the current is weak. They can be found in places with a thick layer of muddy soil. In reservoirs with frequent winds, water lilies are protected by other aquatic plants, as they grow in their surroundings.

Reproduction

This process occurs by dividing the rhizome and seeds. Reproduction using the first method does not cause any difficulties, but it is difficult to do this with seeds. The fact is that it is almost impossible to create normal living conditions for seeds indoors. In addition, we need plants of different sexes that will bloom at the same time. This is difficult to correct.

It is easier to collect seeds from plants growing in natural environment. But we must remember that when the seeds ripen, the fruit sinks into the water, to the very bottom of the reservoir. This is where the seeds are sown. For this reason, half-ripe seeds are collected. The fruits are immediately placed in water to fully ripen. The fruit with seeds first floats, becomes saturated with water, and only then sinks to the very bottom. After some time it bursts, the seeds are gradually released from the fruit. The water in the container should be replaced at this time.

When the seeds germinate, they are sown in glass jars small sizes, in which the water level should be approximately twenty centimeters. The soil is prepared by mixing coarse sand, peat, and silt. Seedlings are obtained from sprouted seeds; they are planted in clay pots, one plant in each. Drainage is done at the bottom using gravel. You can add a little sheep or cow droppings to your own prepared soil.

The plant in the aquarium is given a bright place. Must be daylight. If there is a deficiency, artificial light sources are used. Water lilies will bloom if growing conditions are favorable for them.

In November, before the onset of winter, the plant is freed from the soil and placed in a special room equipped with a window, with a temperature of three to four degrees above zero. If the temperature is higher, the Victoria regia water lily will not stop growing, its strength will run out and it will die. If the plant is not removed from the aquarium, that is, it is not given a period of rest, it will be painful and will not live long, about three years.

Amazonia is a region in the Amazon River basin in South America. It is there that the giant Amazonian water lily (Lat. Victoria amazonica) or Victoria regia (Victoria regia - Royal Victoria) grows - the largest water lily in the world. The diameter of its sheet can reach 2 meters, while it can withstand a load weighing up to several tens of kg. Thanks to these achievements, Victoria regia was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “the largest flowering plant on earth.”

The water lily received its modern name in the 19th century, when it was discovered. In 1836, the German explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk, while in the service of Great Britain, explored the forests of South America. It was he who discovered the mysterious plant. Just then the English throne went to the young Queen Victoria, who was fond of botany. Schomburgk named his find after her: Victoria Royal.

Victoria has long, cord-like roots.

Its flower is located under water and appears on the surface only once a year - during flowering, which lasts only 2-3 days. At this time, a large water lily flower appears in all its glory.

The snow-white flowers of the giant water lily bloom at sunset, and at dawn they close and hide under the water. At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon they again appear on the surface of the reservoir - now pink. And on its last evening the flower turns crimson or purple. After this, it sinks under water and dies completely. This is such short-lived joy.

The water lily itself can live in nature for up to 5 years.

A young leaf that has not yet unfolded.

Nature took care of protecting the plant. Outer side the leaf, stem and flower are completely covered with sharp and long spines, which protect it from herbivorous fish and animals.

The surface of the Amazonian water lily can support loads of up to several tens of kilograms. It is only necessary to correctly distribute the center of gravity. This unusual feature of the water lily is well known to local residents. Therefore, they occasionally use water lilies as a means of transport for crossing small rivers.

After the giant water lily was found, numerous attempts to cultivate this plant began. But almost all of them turned out to be ineffective. And only in 1849, Victoria bloomed for the first time in the botanical garden of the English city of Chadsworth. At the end of the last century, similar attempts were made by the Columbia Botanical Garden. And in 1975, one of them was crowned with success. And after 20 years, with the help of special light filters, it was possible to grow a new full-fledged plant. Now in this botanical garden every parent can take a photo of their infant on the huge leaves of the regal Victoria.

It also grows in other botanical gardens. In particular, in the Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg, where Victoria Amazonia has been grown since 1864.