Victoria

Scientific name

Victoria Lindl.

Common names

giant water platter

Family

Nymphaeaceae

Similar genera

Euryale, Nelumbo

Native distribution

South America

Species cultivated

Victoria amazonica (Poepp.) J.C. Sowerby

V. cruziana A.D. Orb.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

rooted, attached rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
with floating leaves

Brief description

Stem a short rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
. Leaves in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
; juvenile leaves submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, mature leaves floating; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
elongate; submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
surface of bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
and petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
densely covered with large spines; juvenile leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear, sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
or ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
; mature leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
very large (1.8 meters or more in diameter), peltatepeltate:
(adj) of usually flat organs such as leaves: having its stalk attached to its underside away from the margin, near the center
, orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
with entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
, upturned marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
. Flower solitary, large and very showy; pedicelpedicel:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
covered with large spines; sepals 4, with or without spines; petals numerous, large, white, pink or red. Dispersal by seed.

Natural habitat

lakes, pools, and slow flowing rivers

Additional comments

Victoria is by far one of the largest and most spectacular aquatic plants. Mature leaf blades are large and buoyant enough to support the weight of a human. Two species are known: V. amazonica tends to have larger, redder leaves with rather low rims, while V. cruziana is greener, with higher rims.