THE AMERICAN WATER LILY. 1 
NAMES OF THE AMERICAN WATER LILY. 
Evuryatr Amazonica (pronounced Eu-ry'-a-le, signifying a fury) was the name first given to this plant by Poppig, he thinking it identical with Euryale 
of the East Indies. Botanists haye now no doubt that it is distinct in its characteristics, 
Vicrorta Ruorya, so called by an error of the press. 
Nympn#a Vicrorra, so called by Schomburgk, he supposing it to be a Nymphva, which it has proved not to be. 
Vicrorta Cruztana. D’Orbigny. 
Vicrorta Rue1a has been proved by Dr. Lindley to be a distinct and well-marked genus; and notwithstanding Schomburgk (whose successful efforts 
caused this plant to be introduced into cultivation) named it Nymphzxa Victoria, Dr. Lindley, who in 1837 printed a book descriptive and illustrative of 
the plant and flowers, proposed that Victoria be appended in the usual way of a distinct genus. He therefore gave the name Victoria Regia, and this is 
now the established and adopted one. 
Schomburgk, in his British Guiana, says that he discovered this lily on the first day of January, 1837, one hundred and twenty miles from the coast. 
“An account of this having been sent to England, Dr. Lindley found it to be a new and well-marked genus, and gave it the name Victoria Regia.” 
ITS CULTIVATION. 
Sir R. H. Schomburgk, the discoverer of the plant in British Guiana, by his own exertions and aided by his friends there, made unsuccessful attempts 
to introduce living plants into England. The first seeds imported there, that germinated, were packed in moist earth in a bottle. This was in August, 
1846. Two plants only survived till winter, when they perished. 
On the 28th February, 1849, Dr. Hugh Rodie and Mr. Lachie, of George Town, Demerara, procured seeds, which they forwarded to Sir W. J. Hooker, 
in phials of pure water, agreeably to that gentleman’s directions. By the 23d of March, seeds sown in earth, in pots immersed in water, and enclosed in a 
small glass case, with a tropical temperature, vegetated. These were distributed, and came to perfection first at Chatsworth, the seat of the Duke of Devon- 
shire; next at Syon House, the Duke of Northumberland’s; and subsequently at Kew. At the present time, plants have been successfully grown in several 
botanical gardens in Great Britain, and on the continent of Europe. 
Sir Joseph Paxton prepared an account of the growth of the plant under his care, at Chatsworth, for a memoir of the Victoria Regia by Sir W. J. 
Hooker, and it is on this work we mainly rely for the correctness of our historical materials, a condensed account of which is here given for comparison with 
plants grown in the United States : — 
“The Victoria Regia is, in my opinion, decidedly a perennial plant. After receiving our young plant from the Royal Gardens at Kew, on the third of 
August, 1849, it was placed in a pot full of water, and plunged in a bed heated to 85°, until the larger tank was ready for its reception, which was on the 
10th of August. It was then turned out of the pot into a hillock of prepared soil in the centre of the tank, which, in the short space of seventy-nine days, 
it had completely filled, its dimensions being eighteen feet eight inches by nineteen feet one inch. Calculating by the size of the box it arrived in, which 
was thirteen inches square and afforded ample space for it, and the size of the tank filled, it must have added daily to its size the almost incredible number 
of six hundred and forty-seven square inches. This may be considered the most remarkable instance of the rapidity of vegetable development we have on 
record. 
“Karly in November, the leaves being four feet eight inches in diameter, and exhibiting every appearance of possessing great strength from the deep 
thick ribs, which form the foundation of the blade, I was desirous of ascertaining the weight which they would bear, and, accordingly, placed my youngest 
daughter, eight years of age, weighing forty-two pounds, upon one of the leaves; a copper lid, weighing fifteen pounds, being the readiest thing that 
presented itself, was placed upon it in order to equalize the pressure, making together fifty-seven pounds. This weight the leaf bore extremely well, as 
did several others upon which the experiment was tried, their diameter being four feet two inches to four fect nine inches. 
“The plant continued to increase in size until the 11th of November, when it perfected its largest leaf, which was nearly five feet in diameter, with the 
edge turned up full two inches, showing the dark purple color of the under side of the leaf, and forming an agreeable contrast with the beautiful yellow- 
green of the upper. his edge the leaves preserve for about a month, and after that gradually become flat, and this edge is generally the first portion of the 
leaf to decay, unless the decay is occasioned by some internal constitutional disease, which generally occurs more or less in the dull months of autumn and 
winter. At those seasons the decay appears in spots on various parts of the surface. The young as well as the old leaves are liable to this disease, which 
should be immediately taken out with a sharp knife to prevent its spreading. The time, from the first appearance of the leaf to the perfect development, 
ayerages from nine to twelve days, and to their decay, six to eight weeks. 
“From the 11th of November, the plant began to decline in growth, and its smallest leaf was formed on the 25th of December, which was two feet 
and half an inch in diameter. After this period, the plant began to show symptoms of reaction, and the leaves to increase in size, although very slowly, 
until the end of January. It had at that time twenty-four leaves upon it, and, with two or three exceptions, all were in a healthy state. This is the greatest, 
number we haye had at the same time on this plant. As it progressed, it gave us every reason to believe that the leaves would attain a much larger size 
this year (1850) than last, and, having the spring in its favor, it grew very luxuriantly, and fully realized our most sanguine expectations. Early in May we 
were desirous of ascertaining again what weight the leaves were capable of bearing. A leaf was accordingly remoyed from the plant for the purpose, floated 
in a brook which runs close to the Gardens, and a very light circular trellis of the same size was made and laid on the surface, go as to distribute the weight 
