figured in the London Flor. and Bat. J\fagaztnes. 213 



ty's name in the usual way, in that of the genus. I have there- 

 fore proposed to name it Victoria regia. 



"This noble plant corresponds with the genus Euryalc in the 

 spiny character of the leaves and stalks, and to a certain extent in 

 the great development of the former organs; but it is, in fact, 

 most nearly related to ^Aymphaj^a itself." 



This is from the original memoir, as published some time ago 

 by Dr. Lindley. In the Botanical Register to the above ex- 

 tracts, he adds the following: — • 



"At the time when this was written, I knew nothing of the 

 plant, beyond what could be learned from Mr. Schomburgk's de- 

 scription and figures: these, however, contained abundant evi- 

 dence upon which to establish the genus. I was therefore a ht- 

 tle surprised to find, soon after the account above quoted had 

 been printed, either that this very plant, or one nearly allied to it, 

 had been called Euryale amazonica by Prof. Poeppig. In the 

 second volume of the travels of this distinguished naturalist, men- 

 tion is made of a nymphaceous plant of extraordinary dimen- 

 sions, rivalling the East Indian Raffles/a in size, but far superior 

 in richness of color, inhabiting the Igarape river, one of the 

 branches of the Amazon. The leaves are described as covered 

 with prickles on the under side, the flowers snow-white, purple in 

 the middle, and from ten to eleven inches in diameter. It flowers 

 in December and January, and bears in Ega, the name of Muru- 

 ru. 



"It is impossible not to recognize a plant extremely like Vic- 

 toria in this sketch: and I cannot doubt that the Mururu is either 

 the very same, or a nearly allied species. That Prof. Poeppig 

 was wrong in referring this plant to Euryalc, must have been evi- 

 dent to any one acquainted with Roxburgh's detailed descrip- 

 tion of that genus, and has been rendered still more certain, 

 in consequence of the Royal Geographical Society having re- 

 ceived from Mr. Schomburgk some flowers sent over in salt and 

 water. I am indebted to the liberality of the Society for these 

 specimens, which, although in a very decayed state, in conse- 

 qnence of the manner in which they were packed, are botanical- 

 ly examinable; and they show, that Victoria is not only quite 

 distinct from Euryale, but highly curious in structure. They 

 moreover confirm Mr. Schomburgk's account of the size of the 

 flowers, for one of the expanded calyxes measured fourteen 

 inches in diameter, and an additional inch for the overlapping of 

 the petals, is little enough to allow. 



*'Wilh regard to the genus — Euryale is an East Indian water 

 plant, with very large floating leaves, sometimes as much as four 

 feet in diameter, bright purple underneath, and these, reticulated 

 with numerous very large prominent veins. It is moreover cov- 

 ered with sharp prickles, on the under side of the leaves, the leaf 



