94 THE VICTORIA.-NELUMBIUMS. 



and worthy of additional care to bring it to perfection. American hybrid. 

 (See plate facing page 48). 



IV. THE VICTORI.-X (the ROYAL W,A.TER LILv), AND F.URYAI.E. 



Victoria regia. This is the most wonderful of all water plants. It inhabits 

 the tranquil bays and lakes of the great streams of South America, and details 

 of its discovery will be found on page 53. The plant is of gigantic proportions, 

 the leaves grow to an immense size — from six to seven feet across — with a 

 vertical rim from three to eight inches high. The flowers are from twelve to 

 fifteen inches in diameter, with very numerous petals. The color of the flower 

 is white on the first opening day, changing on the second day to rosy pink. 



V. regia var. Randii was discovered and introduced by Edward S. Rand, 

 Jr., of Para, Brazil, and it differs from the original in several particulars. 

 The whole plant is more robust; the young leaves are of a darker bronzy 

 color; the vertical rim on well-grown plants is five to six inches high, giving 

 the plant a striking and novel appearance. Leaves are produced six to seven 

 feet in diameter. The flowers of this variety are white on the first day, 

 changing on the second day to a deep crimson. 



Victoria rcgia, Trickers variety. A new distinct Victoria with well- 

 marked characteristics provisionally named as here given, but may be differ- 

 ently entitled on further knowledge. Among its peculiarities are: first the 

 early cupping of the leaves, the turned up rim being shown by quite small 

 plants; the full grown leaves are large, of a lustrous bright green color, and 

 the rim is from six to eight inches deep. The flowers are also produced much 

 earlier than on the other Victorias, and are larger, measuring from fifteen to 

 eighteen inches over, they are white on opening changing to a lively rose pink 

 on the second day. The sepals in this variety are smooth, whereas the others 

 are spinous to the tips, another striking characteristic is that it can be successfully 

 grown in a much lower temperature than is usually advised for other Victorias. 

 The seed will also germinate in a lower temperature, in fact the plant does 

 remarkably well treated precisely the same as the tropical Nymphafas. 



Euryale ferox was the noblest aquatic in cultivation prior to the introduc- 

 tion of the Victoria, its large circular leaves are from two to three feet in di- 

 ameter, with prominent spiny veins on the rich purple underside, the upperside 

 being olive green, puckered and spiny. Flower small and insignificant, of a 

 deep violet blue. 



v. NELUMBIUMS EGYPTIAN AND JAPANESE LOTUS. 



Nelumhium album grandiflorum. A magnificent large white Lotus, its pure 

 white flowers tower above the handsome foliage and contrast conspicu- 

 ously against the carmine pink of other Nelumbiums. Given the same soil as 

 Nymphaeas and located in a warm sheltered spot, and not removed too fre- 

 quently, this plant will produce flowers in plenty. 



