478 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



VIC 



according to others. Dr. Masters, in the 

 "Treasury of Botany," speaking of these 

 noble plants, says: "They are aquatic 

 plants, with thick, fleshy root-stocks, marked 

 with the scars of former leaves, and sending 

 upward numerous long, cylindrical leaf-stalks, 

 which are traversed in the interior by several 

 air-canals, the larger of them arranged with 

 much regularity, and are thickly covered on 

 the outside by stout conical prickles. These 

 prickles have spiral vessels and a small cavity 

 in their interior, opening by a little pore at 

 the top. From the under surface of the base 

 of the leaf-stalks numerous adventitious roots 

 are given out. The blade of the leaf is pel- 

 tate, circular in outline, and when fully 

 developed is from six to twelve feet in diam- 

 eter, its margin uniformly turned upward to 

 the extent of two or three inches, so that the 

 leaves, when floating, have the appearance of 

 so many large, shallow trays. The upper sur- 

 face of the leaf is of a rich green color, and 

 studded with little boss-like prominences. 

 The lower surface is of a deep purple or violet 

 hue, and traversed by several very prominent 

 nerves, which radiate from the centre to the 

 margin of the leaf, and are connected one 

 with another by smaller nerves running trans- 

 versely, so that the whole of the under sur- 

 face is divided by compartments into a num- 

 ber of irregularly quadrangular spaces or cells. 

 The nerves themselves are permeated by air 

 canals, and covered by strong spines. Thus 

 the enormous leaves are well adapted to float 

 on the water : and the extent of surface 

 exposed is so great that a considerable weight 

 can be supported without submerging them. 

 Even a child of twelve years of age may be 

 borne up, if the precaution be taken of first 

 placing on the leaf a small piece of board, to 

 prevent the feet from tearing and slipping 

 through its surface. The flower-stalk has a 

 similar outward appearance to that of the leaf, 

 but is stouter, and its air-canals are arranged 

 in a different manner. The flower bud before 

 expansion is pear-shaped. The calyx is 

 adherent below to the ovary, and is here cov- 

 ered with prickles ; its limb, however, is des- 

 titute of these appendages, and is divided into 

 four ovate deciduous sepals, of a rich purple 

 tint externally, and whitish internally. The 

 petals are very numerous, in several rows, 

 and (as in our common Water Lily) exhibit a 

 gradual transition in their form to that of the 

 stamens, so that it is somewhat difficult in all 

 cases to decide where the one set of parts 

 ceases and the others begin. The outer petals 

 are rather larger than the sepals or lobes of 

 the calyx, oblong, concave and white, the 

 inner ones gradually becoming narrower, more 

 pointed, and of a beautiful deep rose color. 

 When fully expanded the outer petals are bent 

 downward, while the central rose-colored 

 ones, with the stamens, remain erect; and 

 thus a noble appearance is presented, as of a 

 central rose-colored crown supported by a 

 series of pure white and most gracefully 

 curved petals. The stamens are numerous, the 

 outer ones somewhat lance-shaped, gracefully 

 curved, of a fine rose-color, and having two 

 linear anther cells on the inner face, near, but 

 not quite extending to the top. Within these 

 fertile stamens are other sterile ones, smaller 

 in size, less highly colored, arching over th 

 stigmas, to which they approximate also in 



VIC 



color and form. The ovary is adherent to the 

 calyx tube, somewhat globular or top-shaped, 

 its upper portion hollowed like a cup, and pre- 

 senting in the centre a little rounded or con- 

 ical knob. Along the upper margin of the cup 

 are placed the stigmas, fleshy, pointed bodies, 

 somewhat flattened at the sides and bent in 

 the middle, so that their points project over 

 the cup toward the centre. Each stigma has 

 a prominent line along its upper surface, run- 

 ning down to the central knob, which is thus 

 the focus of a series of ridges, radiating 

 toward the stigmas. The interior of the ovary 

 contains numerous cavities corresponding to 

 the stigmas, and each containing several 

 ovules. The fruit, when ripe, is a sort of 

 globular berry, thickly beset with formidable 

 prickles. The seeds escape by the rotting of 

 the outer portions of the fruit. These noble 

 plants inhabit the tranquil rivers of South 

 America, especially those which are tributary 

 to the Amazon. They differ in the size of the 

 seeds and other particulars; but when it is 

 remembered how variable aquatic plants are, 

 it is better, for the present at least, to con- 

 sider them as forms of one rather than dis- 

 tinct species. Generically, Victoria is most 

 nearly allied to Euryale, but it is distinguished 

 by the deciduous sepals, by the gradual tran- 

 sition in the form of the petals to that of the 

 stamens, by the more numerous cavities of 

 the ovary, and other particulars. The leaf of 

 Euryale is, however, an exact miniature copy 

 of that of the Victoria, save that it is not 

 turned up at the margin. 



" The earliest traveler who discovered this 

 plant was Hrenke, in 1801. Bonpland subse- 

 quently met with it; but M. D'Orbigny was 

 the first to send home specimens to Paris in 

 1828. They were, however, neglected or over- 

 looked. In a work published some few years 

 afterthis time, M. D'Orbigny mentions having 

 discovered the plant in the River Parana in 

 Guiana. It was known, he says, to the natives, 

 by the name of Irupe, in allusion to the shape 

 of the leaves, which resembles that of the 

 broad dishes used in the country. The Span- 

 iards call the plant Water Maize, as they col- 

 lect the seeds and eat them roasted. In 1832 

 a German traveler found it ia some tributaries 

 of the Amazon ; but it was not until the late 

 Sir Robert Schomburgk discovered it in the 

 Berbice River, in British Guiana, in the year 

 1837, that public attention was drawn to the 

 magnificent plant." Sir Robert, in a tetter to 

 the Royal Geographical Society, thus describes 

 his first sight of the plant : " It was on the 

 first of Janriary, 1837, while contending with 

 the difficulties that nature interposed in differ- 

 ent ways to hinder our progress up the River 

 Berbice, that we arrived at a part where the 

 river expanded and formed acurrentless basin. 

 .Some object on tne southern extremity of this 

 basin attracted my attention, and I was unable 

 to form an idea what it could be ; but, animat- 

 ing the crew to increase the rate of their pad- 

 dling, we soon camo opposite the object which 

 had raised my curiosity, and, behold, a vege- 

 table wonder ! All calamities were forgotten. 

 I was a botanist, and felt myself rewarded! 

 There were gigantic leaves, flve to six feet 

 across, flat, with broad brim, light green 

 above and vivid crimson beneath, floating on 

 the water ; while in character with the wonder- 

 ful foliage, I saw luxuriant flowers, each con- 



