MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 103 
LINNEAN HOUSE POOLS 
Victoria Regia (Giant Water Platter).—The date of the 
discovery of the giant water-lily is probably the year 1801 
when the botanist Haenke was sent by the Spanish govern- 
ment to investigate the vegetable productions of Peru. His 
records have unfortunately been lost to science. M. A. 
D’Orbigny says: “When I was travelling in Central America, 
in the country of the wild Guarayas, who are a tribe of 
Guaranis or Caribs, I made acquaintance with Father La 
- Cueva, a Spanish missionary, a good and well-informed man, 
beloved for his patriarchal virtues and who had long and 
earnestly devoted himself to the conversions of the natives. 
The traveller who, after spending a year among the Indians, 
meets with a fellow-creature capable of understanding and 
exchanging sentiments with him, can easily appreciate the 
delight and eagerness with which I conversed with this 
venerable old man.” In one of these interviews he men- 
tioned that he was with Haenke in a canoe on the Rio 
Mamoré, one of the tributaries of the River Amazon, when 
they discovered in the marshes by the side of the stream, a 
flower so unusual and beautiful that Haenke fell on his knees 
in a rapture of admiration. 
Ten years later.M. Bonpland discovered the same plant 
near the town of Corrientes, where it is known to the 
natives by the name “Mayz de l’agua” (maize of the water), 
owing to the seeds being substituted for grains of maize. 
The women of Corrientes, when the fruits are ripe, grind the 
seeds into flour and prefer this farina to flour made from 
the finest wheat; with it they make pastry, etc., which is 
considered a luxury. Dr. Poeppig, during his residence in 
South America from 1827-1832, noticed this species in the 
Amazon River. He refers to it as Euryale amazonica. 
Introduction and Cultivation.—Five years after Dr. Poep- 
pig’s discovery, Sir Robert H. Schomburgk discovered speci- 
mens of the giant lily in British Guiana. In 1842 he again 
detected the plant, this time in the Rupunini River, a 
branch of the Essequibo. Up to this time only herbarium 
specimens had been introduced into Europe. Sir Robert, 
however, repeatedly sent roots and seeds with mud to Eng- 
land. One plant was reported raised from seeds, but died 
shortly after. The successful cultivation was finally accom- 
‘plished at Kew Gardens. The following account is taken 
from John Smith’s records of the Botanic Gardens: 
“In February, 1849, seeds were received sent-in a phial 
of water from Demerara by Dr. Boughton, which vegetated 
and in March six plants had’ become fully established, and 
