VICTORIA HEGIA ” — THE EMnHEM OF THE SOCIETY 
8 !) 
“VICTORIA REGIA”— THE EMBLEM OF THE SOCIETY 
By J. E. Louslby 
This paper was read after the Annual General Meetino; on 
April 14th, 1951. 
(Certain epithets are spelled in this paper with initial capitals as in 
the original publication although this is contrary to modern usage, — 
J.E.L.) 
The Society’s emblem as printed on the title page of the Year Tioolc 
and certain other publications is a drawing of a tropical water-lily. It 
is headed “Victoria regia’’ and underneath are the words “Floreat 
Flora’’. The design has no very obvious connection with the present 
activities of the Society and it is not surprising that its use puzzles many 
of our members. As the association of the plant with our early history 
is apparently not widely known, the present paper is intended to make 
this clear. 
The Victoria , Royal or Amazons Water-lily is one of the most remark- 
able productions of the vegetable world. The huge, round, floating 
leaves, sometimes over six feet in diameter, with firm margins raised 
several inches at right angles to the water, are so strong that they can 
carry the weight of a nine-j’^ear old child. Caspary found that they 
could increase four or five square feet in twenty-four hours, and that 
they could grow in length at the rate of about an inch an hour when 
just expanding. On the lower surface they have a close network of 
prickly veins; the petioles are like massive cables covered in prickles. 
The flowers measure twelve to eighteen inches in diameter and open in 
the evening. In cultivation in this country these great plants are grown 
annually from seed, and it is often difficult to convince visitors to Kew 
that such a large structure has been produced in the course of a single 
season . 
British botanists first heard of the discovery of this plant at a meet- 
ing of the Botanical Society of Jjondon on September 7, I8.‘17. This 
Society had been e.stablished on July 27th of the previous year, at a 
“Meeting of the Practical Botanists in London’’ convened at the Crown 
and Anchor Tavern in the Strand. Its activities included the exchange 
of herbarium material. This work has continued without a significant 
break under various titles, to be expanded again within living memory 
into the wider functions of our Botanical Society of the British Isles. 
In 1835 the Royal Geographical Society sent R. H. Schomburgk to 
British Guiana and in July 1837 their Secretary received from him a 
packet containing drawings and a de.scription of the water-lily in dupli- 
cate (Bindley, 1851). In accordance with his request one set was for- 
warded to the Secretary of the Botanical Society of London. It was 
exhibited and discus.sed at the September meeting of our forerunners 
