11 
of Bolivia; perhaps the very spot where it was first found by 
Haeiike, and afterwards by D’Orbigny. Seeing, indeed, that V. 
regia has been detected in Bolivia (Rio INIamore), in the Ama¬ 
zons ; in Berbice and in Corrientes (Parana) rivers; the first 
rowed amongst magnificent leaves and flowers, crushing unavoidably some, 
and selecting only such as pleased me. The leaves being so enormous I could 
find room in the canoe for but tw'o, one before me and the other behind; owdng 
to tlieir being very fragile, even in the green state, care w’as necessary to transport 
them; and thus we had to make several trips in the canoe before I obtained the 
number required. Having loaded myself with leaves, flow'ers, and ripe seed- 
vessels, I next mused how they w^ere to be conveyed in safety ; and determined 
at length upon suspending them on long poles with small cord, tied to the stalks 
of the leaves and flowers. Two Indians, each taking on his shoulder an end of 
the pole, carried them into the town; the poor creatures wondering all the while 
what could induce me to be at so much trouble to get at flowers, and for what 
piupose I destined them now they were in my possession. 
“ This splendid plant has, undoubtedly, a very extensive geographical range; 
the town of Santa Anna is situated between the 13th and 14th parallels of south 
latitirde, which I consider about its most southern limit, because I sought in 
vain for it farther south, in the department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. May we 
not justly suppose that it is also found as far north of the Equator? thus occu¬ 
pying about 28° of northern and southern latitude. Dr. Weddel, the botanist of 
the French expedition across the American Continent, informed me that he had 
found it about the same latitude in Brazil. It occupies, without doubt, many of 
those immense lakes lying between the rivers Mamor^, Beni and the Amazons; 
that central part of the Continent, yet but little known. The Indians are well 
acquainted with the plant; the Moimas or natives of Santa Anna call it in their 
language “ Morinqua and the neighbouring nation, the Cayababas, natives of 
the town of Exaltacion, know it under the name of “Dachocho.” The leaves 
are round, varying considerably in size, the largest about four feet in diameter. 
They float on the surface of the water ; the colour is a very light green, in age 
inchning to yellow, some of them even when young possess a yellow hue. The 
margins of the leaf are tmaied upwards, giving the leaf a singular appearance, 
somewhat like a floating dish ; this margin and the under surface of the leaf are 
of a dark browm colour, while the part under water often assumes a purple tinge. 
The costse are of the same colour. The spines incline to the interior of the leaf, 
and in some leaves are nearly white. 
“ The Victoria grows in 4-6 feet of water, producing leaves and flowers, which 
rapidly decay and give place to others. From each plant there are seldom more 
than four or five leaves ou the surface, but even these in parts of the lake where 
the plants were numerous, almost covered the surface of the water, one leaf 
touching the other. I observed a beautiful aquatic bird, {Parra sp. ?) walk with 
much ease from leaf to leaf, and many of the Muscicapidee find food and a resting- 
place on them. The plant occupies almost exclusively the water, with the ex¬ 
ception of a few" floating aquatics of small dimensions, amongst which I saw a 
beautiful Utricularia. 
“ The blossoms rise six and eight inches above the surface, expanding first in 
the evening, w'hen they are pxue white; changing finally (and by exposure to 
the sun) to a most beautifid pink or rose colour, flowers may be seen, at the same 
time, partaking of every tinge between the two hues, the recently expanded being 
pure w"hite and the adult rosy, almost sinking under water to ripen its seed and 
produce a new" race of plants w hen required. The largest flowers I saw measured 
from ten inches to one foot in diameter. 
