Giant Water Lilies of the Amazon Rainforest
At the University of Bristol Botanic Garden
Pre-pandemic I would go to the Botanic Garden quite regularly. It was never crowded and there was plenty of room to wander around.
As well as the gardens there are also glass houses that provide conditions matching different climate types — the largest member of the water lily family is housed in the tropical zone.
This water lily, Victoria amazonica, naturally inhabits slow-moving waterways in South America within the Amazon basin.
Pollination is achieved via beetles which are attracted by the rich scent of the water lily’s flowers in the evening. At this point the flowers are white.
The flower closes around the beetles and traps them for an overnight visit. During the night the temperature inside the flower rises above the temperature outside — this means the beetles can keep up a high level of activity whilst conserving energy.
Twenty-four hours later the pollinated flower opens. The beetles can leave and find other flowers. The petals of the flower will now be pale pink.
The leaves of the giant water lily are very large and can reach three meters in diameter, growing at up to half a meter a day. They have upturned edges and are studded with lethal spines on the underside. These are to deter herbivorous fish from snacking on them.
I’m looking forward to when I can get back to the Botanic Garden again. One of my first visits will be to see the giant water lilies.
