Victoria
Read about Victoria in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Victoria (in honor of Queen Victoria). Nymphaeaceae. Royal Water-lily. The great water-lily of the Amazon, sometimes grown in large aquaria. This remarkable aquatic genus may be recognized by its huge round floating lvs. often 6 ft. or more in diam., with the margin turned up at right angles to the water surface to a height of 3-8 in., making a basin-like object. Fls. (12-18 in. across) nocturnal, opening on two successive days about 5 P.M. and remaining open until the middle of the following morning: the first evening the inner floral lvs. remain loosely closed over the stigma, the fl. is creamy white, and exhales a delicious fragrance somewhat like pineapple; the second evening the floral lvs. spread wide open, and the color changes to pink or red; ovary inferior, densely prickly, and surmounted by a short broad tube, on the sides and summit of which the floral lvs. are situated; sepals 4; petals 50-70, obtuse, oblong-ovate to sublinear, rather thin and delicate in texture; staminodia about 20; stamens 150-200, linear-lanceolate; paracarpels about 25, forming a ring of thick fleshy bodies between the stamens and the styles; carpels 30-40; stigma forming a broad basin-like depression, 2-2 1/2 in. wide, in the midst of the fl., with a central conical continuation of the floral axis, the basin filled with fluid on the first evening of opening; carpellary styles broad and fleshy in the lower part, produced upward to a fleshy subulate incurved process about 1/2 in. long: in fr. all of the floral lvs. have decayed away, leaving the basal tube of the torus at the top of a great prickly berry, half the size of one's head; seeds greenish or brownish black, about the size of a pea.—The genus is represented by 2 well-defined species, inhabiting still waters of S. Amer. from British Guiana to Argentina. In its native haunts victoria grows in 4 to 6 feet of water, in great patches miles in extent, and is perennial. The tuberous rhizome stands erect in the mud, where it is anchored by innumerable spongy roots which spring from the bases of the leaves in groups of ten to thirty or forty. The tuber may be as much as 6 inches in diameter and 2 feet long. It decays below as it grows above. The leaves are arranged in 7 to 18 order, the flowers being extra-axillary. Each leaf after the first seedling leaf has a broadly ovate fused pair of stipules, these organs serving to protect the apex of the stem. The petioles and peduncles are terete, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, covered with stout fleshy prickles, and traversed internally by four large, and a number of smaller air-canals. The petioles attain to a length much greater than the depth of the water, so that the leaves can adjust themselves to changes of the water-level, though Banks states that they may be completely submerged in times of flood. The gigantic leaves are covered beneath with a close network of prickly veins, the larger of which project an inch or more from the leaf-surface; the tissues are full of air-spaces and -canals, thus buoying up the mass of cellular matter. Besides many stomata on the upper surface of the leaf, which open into the air-chambers of the mesophyll, there are countless tiny depressions, in each of which one can see with a hand-lens that the leaf is perforated with a fine hole; these holes were called by Planchon "stomatodes" (F.S. 6:249). He considered them to be useful as air-holes to let out gases which, rising from the water or mud, might be caught in the deep meshes of the netted veins on the under side of the leaf. It is also to be noted that, in spite of the cup-like form of the leaves, water from rain or other sources does not remain on the surface; it doubtless runs down at once through the tiny perforations. This would be an indispensable protection against fungi and algae, and for the function of assimilation. A single leaf, by its buoyancy, may sustain a weight of 150 or 200 pounds. Gurney at Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, covers the leaf with a large round quilted pad, then lays on an equally large frame of thin wooden slats, and on this a person can readily stand, as if in a boat. Not the least remarkable feature of these leaves is their rate of growth. Caspary found the maximum growth in length to be about 1 inch an hour when the leaf is just expanding; the surface increases 4 or 5 square feet in twenty-four hours, and a plant will produce in twenty-one to twenty-five weeks 600 or 700 square feet of leaf-surface. A great development of heat has been observed in the opening flowers of victoria. About 8 P.M., when the anthers are shedding their pollen (in second-day flowers), the stamens may reach and maintain a temperature 10° F. above that of the surrounding air. Though doubtless known to Spanish traders and missionaries, and certainly of use to savages as food in early times, victoria was first noticed botanically by Haenke in Bolivia about 1801; but he died in the Philippines without recording his discovery. Bonpland, the companion of Humboldt, also saw it near Corrientes, Argentina, in 1819, and in 1825 sent seeds and a full description to Mirbel at Paris. In 1832 Poeppig found it on the Amazon, and gave the first published account of it in Froriep's "Notizen" in November of that year, under the name of Euryale amazonica. D'Orbigny saw the plant in 1827 at Corrientes, collected specimens, and sent them with drawing to the Museum of Natural History at Paris. In 1833 he saw it again in Bolivia, and several years later published accounts of his find. Robert H. Schomburgk, finding it again in 1836 on the Berbice River in British Guiana, sent home specimens and figures from which Lindley in 1837 (published in 1838) established the genus Victoria and described the species V. regia. This name has settled on the northern species, while the one found at Corrientes was named in 1840, by d'Orbigny, V. Cruziana in honor of General Santa Cruz, of Bolivia. The struggle to bring the "queen of water-lilies" into captivity began with Schomburgk. He removed living plants from inland lakes and bayous to Georgetown, British Guiana, but they soon died. In 1846 Bridges obtained seed in the Bolivia locality, province of Moscos, and sent them in a jar of wet clay to England. Out of twenty-five seeds obtained at Kew, three germinated and grew vigorously as small seedlings until October, but died in December. In 1848 dry seeds were sent to England from the Essequibo River, along with rhizomes, the latter in Wardian cases; the rhizomes rotted, and the seeds refused to germinate. In 1849 an expedition from Georgetown succeeded in bringing back thirty-five living plants, but these all died. Finally some seeds were sent to Kew from the Demerara River in bottles of fresh water, by two English physicians, Rodie and Luckie. The first sending arrived February 28, 1849, and on November 8 a plant flowered at Chatsworth; the blossom was appropriately presented to Queen Victoria. From this stock Victoria regia was distributed to gardens in Europe, Asia, and America. Van Houtte of Ghent first flowered it on the continent, and Caleb Cope, of Philadelphia, was the earliest successful cultivator in this country. His gardener was the late Thomas Meehan. The first flower opened August 21, 1851. In 1852 John F. Allen, of Salem, Massachusetts, had a plant from seed of Mr. Cope's growing. This plant lived through four summers and matured over 200 flowers. The next notable importation of seed was sent by Edward S. Rand, Jr., from Para, Brazil, to Mr. Sturtevant, then at Bordentown, N. J. The resulting plants flowered in 1886 and, proving to be slightly different from the former type, were called V. regia var. Randii. It is doubtless the same form that was described by Planchon as V. amazonica, and retained with grave doubts by Caspary. In 1894 Mr. Tricker received from Europe seed of quite another species, which was provisionally named V. regia var. Trickeri. It is much more amenable to out-of-door culture than the older type, and has received a well-deserved popularity. Specimens grown at Kew from seeds sent by Tricker were regarded simply as garden forms of V. regia. Later investigation by Tricker and the writer brought out the fact that the stock came originally from Corrientes, Argentina, and that the plant is truly the V. Cruziana of d'Orbigny. Its far southern habitat (27° south) explains its hardiness. At Riverton, New Jersey, seeds that have wintered in an open pond produce plants which flower by the end of August. The large starchy seeds of this species are used as food in Paraguay under the name of Mais del Agua, "water-corn." The form of victoria originally introduced from British Guiana had leaves entirely flat until the plant attained considerable size; then a low rim appeared. The leaf was deeply purple-colored beneath. V. Cruziana differs markedly from this. V. regia var. Randii approaches the latter; and Malme's recently described V. Cruziana forma mattogrossensis approaches V. regia in several details. Apparently the two species grade into one another in Matto Grosso, where the tributaries of the Amazon and the Parana rivers interlace. For much interesting information on Victoria, see Hooker, "Botanical Magazine" 4275-4278; Planchon, "Flore des Serres" 6:193-224; Caspary in "Flora Brasiliensis" 4, part 2, page 143 ff. In 1854 John Fisk Allen published in Boston a quarto work (pages 21 by 27 inches) with colored plates, entitled: "Victoria regia, or the great water-lily of America. With a brief account of its discovery and introduction into cultivation: with illustrations by William Sharp, from specimens grown at Salem, Massachusetts, U. S. A." Cultivation of victorias. At first V. regia was cultivated at a great expense in conservatories and tanks built especially for the purpose. Then it was grown in artificially heated ponds in the open air. The victoria is largely grown in private and public gardens throughout the United States at the present time, together with tropical nympheas, and in some cases without artificial heat, but this method of culture is uncertain and often unsatisfactory. V. Cruziana is by far the best kind for out-of-door culture. Moreover, it can be grown where V. regia fails to grow, as it revels in a temperature of only 75° to 80°. Its introduction has been of great interest. It has stimulated the culture of aquatic plants in the United States, also in Europe where it is now largely grown. The Victoria regia is now considered of easy culture. Its requirements are heat, light, and a rich mellow loam in abundance. The seed should be sown in February and March. The temperature of the water should range between 85° to 90° F. The seed may be planted in pots or seed-pans and placed in shallow water. A tank 8 to 12 inches deep, having a metal lining, copper preferred, is very serviceable for seedlings and young plants. Where sufficient heat is not attained from the heating pipes, an addition can be made by the use of an oil-lamp. It is altogether unnecessary and unnatural to file or chip the seed to assist or hasten germination. The seedlings will appear in about twenty days, though occasionally a few may appear in ten days. These should be potted off singly into 2 1/2 inch pots, using fine loamy soil. The water temperature for the young plants should be the same as directed for the seed-pots. As soon as the young plants acquire their first floating leaf they will doubtless be benefited by repotting. From the very beginning, as sprouted seeds, they should be kept steadily growing, repotting at intervals, until they are planted out in their summer quarters. As the young plants advance they will require more space, so that the leaves are not crowded and overlap each other. To raise plants of V. Cruziana (V. Trickeri) is altogether a different matter. The seed will not germinate in a high temperature; 65° to 70° is sufficient. The seed may be sown in February, but there is great uncertainty as to how long one must wait for the seedlings to appear, and also as to what percentage of seeds will germinate. As soon as the seedlings appear they should be treated like seedlings of V. regia, except as to temperature, which should be kept as above stated for seedlings and small plants, and as the season advances may be raised to 75° to 80°. The rationality of the cool treatment here advocated is borne out by the fact that early in June quantities of seedlings appear in the pond in the open where a plant has grown the preceding season, the seed having remained in the pond during the winter. Planting in summer quarters may be done early in June or whenever it is safe to plant out tender nympheas, that is, when the pond is not artificially heated. When it is desired to plant out in unheated ponds it is not safe to plant before the middle or latter end of June. The conditions of the weather, earliness or lateness of the season, locality, and the like, must all be taken into account. The best results are to be obtained from an artificially heated pond, or pits in the pond specially constructed to start the victorias, these pits to be heated by hot water or steam and covered with frames and sashes. By this method plants may be set in their summer quarters early in May and heat applied until the middle of June, or rather a temperature of 85° maintained until the advent of summer weather. Very gratifying results are obtained when the victoria is grown under glass, as it is thus grown in several places in the United States, notably at Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, and Allegheny Park; also at "Greystone," the estate of Samuel Untermyer, Yonkers, New York, also at many notable gardens in Europe. Plants grown under glass usually attain to larger dimensions, as they are protected against climatic changes and the elements, besides enjoying more of a tropical atmosphere. There is more than one disadvantage, however. Setting aside the costly construction, labor, and so on, it is by no means inviting even on a warm day to spend many minutes in such a structure. Compare this with a natural pond and its surroundings and a cool shady seat where these gorgeous plants may be viewed at leisure. Whether grown indoors or out, these plants are only annuals, and seedlings are of necessity raised every spring. They form no tubers as do the tender nympheas, or rootstock as do the hardy nympheas. Few, if any, insects are troublesome on these plants. The worst is the black-fly or aphis. The use of insecticides should not be resorted to, as they are most likely to damage the foliage. The safest remedy is to introduce a colony or two of the well-known "lady bug." They and their larvae will soon clear off all the aphides without any injury to the plant.
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Victoria. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Victoria QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)