The Giant Water Lily – Guyana’s National Flower (Formerly The Victoria Regia Lily)

The Victoria amazonica is the largest water lily in the world. In Guyana, it is known as The Victoria Regia Lily. It is our  National Flower which can be seen our Coat-of-Arms. The Victoria Amazonica has several other names including the Victoria Lily, Amazon Water Lily, or Giant Water Lily. It is easy to see why this particular plant species is called the Giant Water Lily since it is the largest known water lily in the world. The name of the Giant Water Lily was cause for controversy and in the end, it was renamed the Victoria Amazonia, which it is popularly known by in the 20th century.

Origin of the Giant Water Lily

This flower is native to the waters Amazon River basin. The Giant Water Lily or the Victoria amazonica can be found in South American countries like Brazil, and Guyana but can be grown in most tropical areas in the world. The first discovery of the Victoria amazonica was in Bolivia in the year 1801.

This plant was named the Victoria Regia Lily, by John Lindley in a description published in October 1837. However in an earlier account in 1832, Eduard Poeppig called the plant the Euryale amazonica, very similar to Euryale Ferox. In 1850, James De Carle Sowerby recognized the former name, by using amazonica but this was rejected by Lindley, who insisted on the name Victoria Regia Lily. However, in the 20th century, the plant name Victoria amazonica became popular.

Scientific Classification of the Giant Water Lily

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Clade: Tracheophytes
• Clade: Angiosperms
• Order: Nymphaeales
• Family: Nymphaeaceae
• Genus: Victoria
• Species: V. amazonica
• Common Name: Giant Water Lily

Interesting Tip

• The genus Victoria was named in honour of Queen Victoria, United Kingdom.

Description of the Giant Water Lily

The Victoria amazonica is an aquatic perennial with rhizomatous qualities. The unique leaves of the Giant Water Lilies never cease to amaze with their monstrous size and buoyancy. They grow as large as ten (10) feet in diameter, meaning a small child-or several can fit on one leaf! Leaves are typically yellowish-green in colour but a coppery red colour underneath. Each leaf has a vertical edge about two (2) inches high surrounding its diameter. On the undersides of the leaves and stems, there are sharp prickles. The submerged stalk of a  Giant Water Lily plant can be up to twenty-six (26) feet long. Unlike the Lotus plants, the flowers and leaves of the Giant Water Lily float on the water’s surface instead of breaking through the surface of the water. The flowers of the Victoria amazonica bloom only at night. However, each flower remains in bloom for as long as two to three (2-3) days. When these flowers bloom, they are white but as they age they turn pinkish to rose-purple going on to the third day. These beautiful flowers emit a rather powerful smell, a mixture of the smell of bananas and pineapple.

Interesting Tip

• The intoxicating smell of the Victoria Amazonica flowers captivates large beetles who make their way into the flower to collect nectar. Sometimes they get drunk on the smell of the flowers and are trapped inside until the next morning when the flower opens, now pink in colour instead of white.
• During the reign of Queen Victoria, The Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London, grew the water lily which caused much competition among the gardeners there.

Uses of the Giant Water Lily

• Formerly known as the Victoria Regia Lily, this plant is the National Flower of Guyana.
• The Victoria amazonica is a prized ornamental plant in water gardens and ponds all around the world.
• When roasted the seeds of the plant can be used as food.
• The leaves of the Victoria amazonica inspired the design of Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace which was built in 1851 in London, Great Britain.

Watch this! – Amazonian Giant Water Lily | Coltraz

About the Giant Water Lily

The leaves and flowers of these spectacular lilies can be seen floating in the still waters of the ponds and oxbow lakes of the Rupununi. You can witness this natural spectacle in the ponds around Rewa’s Grass Pond and in Karanambu Ranch in the Rupununi. If you were to visit the Kaieteur Falls at sunset, and you are very, very, lucky you can spot a Giant Water Lily in bloom. The Victoria Regia Lily or the Victoria amazonica is embedded in Guyana’s colonial past and will without doubt remain a part of Guyana’s future.

Article References

• https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/06/19/features/giant-water-lily/
• http://www.guyanese.ru/en/victoria-regia-national-flower-guyana.php
• https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/amazing-facts-about-the-victoria-amazonica.html
• http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c263
• https://www.rainforestcruises.com/jungle-blog/victoria-water-lily-facts
• https://www.guyanatourism.com/guyanas-beautiful-floral-landscape/

Last Updated: 2020-05-25