Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-09-27

VICTORIA REGIA.-This magnificent plant
justly ranks among the most wonderful inhab-
itants of the vegetable world. And yet-till
comparatively recent period, the lovers of flow
I, ers in the temperate zones were scarcely aware
of its existence. 1t is true that a German bota-
mist, many years ago, described and figured
this lily under the name of E,nyale AasaSops-
lea; but the plant appears to have been gene
rally forgotten until about the year 1887,
when it was re- discovered by M. Schomberg
and called, by permission of the Queen of
England Tictoria Regta.
The Victoria, otherwise known as the Great
American Water Lily, is native of the north
ern parts of South America, growing sponta-
neously in the currentess basins and bayous
of the Amazon and its tributaries, sometimes
covering the waters with its gigantic leaves
OVERLAPPING each other, so that-as it is said
the nimble-footed Indian has been able to
cross over upon them as upon a floating bridge
Indeed this plant seems to have been designed
as fitting inhaoitant of that vast river, which
drains half the continent of South America
for it surpasses all others Of its tribe as the
Amazon does tiny riyulet. Ranking above
all other lilies as the anaconda does above a
hair snake, the Victoria Regia belongs to the
came class of creation with the plesiosaurus
and mastodon among animals, the Niagara
among waterfalls, the Andes among mountains
and the Mississippi and Amazon among rivers.
A tolerably correct idea of this gigantic lily
may be formed by imagining one of our COM
mon white pond lilies magnifed to ten or fif-
teen times its ordinary size, having leaves five
or six feet in diameter, and a flower as large
as cabbage. The flower itself is fragrant,
and surprisingly beautiful, with its thousand
petals passing in alternate tints from pure
white to the most exquisitely delicate shades
of rose and pink. Every part of the plant is
wonderful; the bud or germ, the footstalks of
the leaves, and the leaves themselves, with
their complicated frame work and casing of
thorny armor, and the flower 1t needs to be
seen, not once merely, but many times, in all
the stages fits rapid growth. To the horti-
culturist, and especially to all those who wise
ly seek to enlarge their ideas of the Creator by
the study of his works, the Victoria will ap-
pear to be most magnificent specimen of ma
ture's skill, silent but most eloquently sug-
gestive and instructive revelation of the Gre
alive wisdom. of natures God.
We have hastily penned the above, because
we have the pleasure of being able to inform
the public that d. W. Lincoln, ESQ.,, of this
city, has a fine specimen of this rare plant
growing In one of his greenhouses. We can
not too strongly urge those who have. or NAV
wish to cultivate taste for such things. TO
visit and revisit this plant, and to watch the
lapid changes which it goes through from
stage to stage of its growth. The cultivation
of this exotic, in our variable climate, being
attended with many difficulties, and no ino
considerable expense, an opportunity of seeing
it may not soon occur again, and we would
advise all who can avail themselves of it. not
to fail of procuring season tickets, and going
often to see how nature has succeeded in Hqet-
ti,tg-ap' lily to rank with her mastodons
and whales, her Himalayas and Niagaras-a
lily of SIZE and beauty, and dignity adequate
to comport with the majestic scenery of the
mighty Amazon. GU.
Worcester, Sept. 81, 1854.