Victoria (plant) explained

Victoria or giant waterlily[1] is a genus of aquatic herbs in the plant family Nymphaeaceae. Its leaves have a remarkable size: Victoria boliviana produces leaves up to 3.2m (10.5feet) in width. The genus name was given in honour of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.[2]

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Victoria species are rhizomatous, aquatic, short-lived, perennial herbs with tuberous rhizomes bearing contractile[3] adventitious roots. The floating leaves are peltate and orbicular. The margin of the lamina is raised. The lamina possesses stomatodes (i.e. microscopic perforations).[4] [5] The abaxial leaf surface posesses prominent, reticulate venation.

Generative characteristics

The up to 25 cm wide, nocturnal,[6] thermogenic, solitary, actinomorphic, chasmogamous, protogynous flowers have prickly pedicels with 4 primary and 8 secondary air canals. The flowers have four prickly, petaloid, 12 cm long, and 7–8 cm wide sepals. The 50-100 petals gradually transition towards the shape of the stamens,[7] however there is an abrupt change between the innermost petals to the outermost staminodia.[8] The androeceum consists of 150–200 stamens. The gynoecium consists of 30–44 fused carpels. The 0–15 cm wide, spiny, irregularly dehiscencent fruit bears arillate, glabrous, smooth or granular seeds. Proliferating pseudanthia are absent.

Cytology

The ploidy level is 2x and the chromosome count ranges from 2n = 20 to 2n = 24.[9]

Taxonomy

Victoria was published by Robert Hermann Schomburgk in September 1837.[10] The type species is Victoria regina The genus has two synonyms, both published within the same year with the same name: Victoria published by John Lindley in October 1837 and Victoria published by John Edward Gray in December 1837. There is however disagreement over the correct taxon authority.[11] Victoria is seen as correct by several sources, but Victoria is also widely regarded as correct,[12] [13] despite being published a month later.

Species

Image Scientific name Distribution Description
Victoria amazonica shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbow lakes and bayous The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 40 cm in diameter, and are pollinated by scarab beetles. According to Parodi, both V. amazonica and V. cruziana can occasionally produce flowers up to 50cm (20inches) in width. The flower is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms.[14]
Victoria cruziana Parana-Paraguay basin Slightly smaller than V. amazonica, with the underside of the leaves purple rather than the red of V. amazonica, and covered with a peachlike fuzz lacking in V. amazonica. V. cruziana opens its flowers at dusk.
Victoria boliviana [15] [16] Bolivia Leaves reaching more than 3m (10feet) in width, larger seed and ovule size

Evolutionary relationships

Together with the genus Euryale, Victoria may be placed within the genus Nymphaea, rendering it paraphyletic in its current circumscription.[17] [18] [19]

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs in lakes and streams.[20]

Pollination

Victoria flowers are pollinated by Cyclocephala beetles.[21] [22]

Use

Horticulture

Victoria is a popular ornamental plant.

Food

The seeds, petioles,[23] and rhizomes are used as food.

Other uses

Root extracts are used as black dye.

Notes and References

  1. News: Horton . Helena . Third species of giant waterlily discovered at Kew Gardens . 4 July 2022 . . 4 July 2022.
  2. Knotts, K., & Knotts, B. (n.d.). Introduction to Victoria. Victoria Adventure. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://victoria-adventure.com/victoria/victoria_intro.html
  3. Pellegrini, M.O.O. Nymphaeaceae in Flora e Funga do Brasil. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Available at: https://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/FB24052 consulta.publica.uc.citacao.acesso.em28 Nov. 2024
  4. Gessner, F. (1950). Die Stomatoden des Victoria-Blattes: Zum hundertsten Geburtstag eines umstrittenen Problems. Planta, 38, 123-131.
  5. Die Victoria. (2013, February 26). Botanischer Garten Berlin. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://www.bgbm.org/de/infotainment/die-victoria
  6. Warner, K. A., Rudall, P. J., & Frohlich, M. W. (2008). Differentiation of Perianth Organs in Nymphaeales. Taxon, 57(4), 1096–1109. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27756767
  7. Henkel, F., Rehnelt, F., Dittmann, L. (1907). Das Buch der Nymphaeaceen oder Seerosengewächse. pp. 40–44. Deutschland: Henkel.
  8. Schneider, E. L. (1976). The floral anatomy of Victoria Schomb.(Nymphaeaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 72(2), 115-148.
  9. Pellicer, J., Kelly, L. J., Magdalena, C., & Leitch, I. J. (2013). Insights into the dynamics of genome size and chromosome evolution in the early diverging angiosperm lineage Nymphaeales (water lilies). Genome, 56(8), 437-449.
  10. Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-b). Victoria R.H. Schomb. Tropicos. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from http://legacy.tropicos.org/Name/100535949
  11. United States Department of Agriculture & Agricultural Research Service. (n.d.). Victoria Lindl. Germplasm Resource Information Network (GRIN). Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomygenus?id=12702
  12. de Lima, C. T., Machado, I. C., & Giulietti, A. M. (2021). Nymphaeaceae of Brasil. Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas, 21.
  13. Victoria Lindl. (n.d.). WFO Plant List | World Flora Online. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://wfoplantlist.org/taxon/wfo-4000040238-2024-06?page=1
  14. Book: Parodi, Lorenzo R. . 1959 . Encyclopedia Argentina de Agricultura y Jardineria . Buenos Aires . Editorial Acme S.A.C.I. . 351.
  15. Smith . Lucy T . Magdalena . Carlos . Przelomska . Natalia A. S. . Pérez-Escobar . Oscar A. . Antonelli . Alexandre K. . Melgar-Gómez . Darío G. . Beck . Stephan . Negrão . Raquel . Mian . Sahr . Leitch . Ilia J. . Dodsworth . Steven . Maurin . Olivier . Ribero-Guardia . Gaston . Salazar . César D. . Gutierrez-Sibauty . Gloria . Revised Species Delimitation in the Giant Water Lily Genus Victoria (Nymphaeaceae) Confirms a New Species and Has Implications for Its Conservation . Frontiers in Plant Science . 4 July 2022 . 13 . 883151 . 10.3389/fpls.2022.883151 . 35860537 . 9289450 . free .
  16. Web site: Morelle . Rebecca . Rebecca Morelle . Scientists discover new giant water lily species . BBC News . 4 July 2022 . 4 July 2022.
  17. He, D., Gichira, A. W., Li, Z., Nzei, J. M., Guo, Y., Wang, Q., & Chen, J. (2018). Intergeneric relationships within the early-diverging angiosperm family Nymphaeaceae based on chloroplast phylogenomics. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(12), 3780.
  18. Loehne, C., Borsch, T., & Wiersema, J. H. (2007). Phylogenetic analysis of Nymphaeales using fast-evolving and noncoding chloroplast markers. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 154(2), 141-163.
  19. Roestel, J. A., Wiersema, J. H., Jansen, R. K., Borsch, T., & Gruenstaeudl, M. (2024). On the importance of sequence alignment inspections in plastid phylogenomics–an example from revisiting the relationships of the water‐lilies. Cladistics.
  20. Knotts, K. (n.d.). Victoria’s History. Victoria Adventure. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://victoria-adventure.com/victoria/victoria_history.html
  21. M Cramer, J., Meeuse, A. D. J., & Teunissen, P. A. (1975). A note on the pollination of nocturnally flowering species of Nymphaea. Acta Botanica Neerlandica, 24(5/6), 489-490.
  22. Seymour, R. S., & Matthews, P. G. (2006). The role of thermogenesis in the pollination biology of the Amazon waterlily Victoria amazonica. Annals of Botany, 98(6), 1129-1135.
  23. Victoria amazonica Giant waterlily. (n.d.). Kew. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://www.kew.org/plants/giant-waterlily

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Victoria (plant)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.