Water plants differ not only the fact that they are rather beautiful, but also some of them have the impressive sizes. The largest plant living in water Victoria Amazonian is considered.
The biggest plant living in water
The Amazonian Victoria, or Victoria a regiya (from Latin Victoria amazonica) is the largest water plant. This huge water lily is also known on all planet as a huge water-lily. Its leaves grow to amazingly big sizes – about 3 meters in the diameter that allows a plant to hold afloat the person. On a reverse side of leaves very strong edges which help a water-lily not to go to a bottom are located. Edges of leaves are raised up as if sides at the boat that also gives buoyancy of a lily. Besides, the lower surface of this plant all is covered with thorns which protect it from gluttonous animals and fishes.
Water-lilies also have small openings on surfaces by means of which the lily removes excessive moisture.
Flowers of Victoria are worthy separate admiration, they as well as leaves, unusually large and have about 20-30 centimeters a diameter. But, unfortunately, the regiya blossoms once a year and duration of this process is only three days. In addition, blossoming can be observed only at night, in the morning flowers hide under water. Also the fact that at first flowers at a lily snow-white, and for the second day slightly pinkish is interesting. By third day color can exchange to unrecognizability – from bright crimson to dark violet. Further the plant leaves under water forever and only there ripens. Shortly the fruit containing black seeds of a lily is formed of a flower.
Victoria a regiya is widespread in the basic in Brazil, Bolivia. It grows in basins of the Amazon Rivers only where there is a muddy bottom. The huge lily can also be met in reservoirs of Guyana.
The term of life of a plant is about 5 years.
Victoria a regiya in life of people
Today the mankind shows extraordinary interest in this plant. The dream of many people is in growing up a regiya in the house greenhouses, ponds. But not all as this plant very whimsical and demands a certain temperature, humidity, water quality, a bottom and light manage to cultivate it. Nevertheless skilled cultivators manage to grow up Victoria a regiya in specially equipped greenhouses where conditions for development of a plant close to wild are created. By the way, blossoming of a lily in such greenhouses can last not couple of days, but few months. There is a hope that shortly such greenhouses will be available to everyone that will allow any to admire surprising Victoria a regiya.