Midnight blooming beauty Victoria cruziana

Description

Victoria cruziana (Santa Cruz water lily, water platter, yrupe, synonym Victoria argentina Burmeist.) is a tropical species of flowering plant, of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies native to South America, primarily Argentina and Paraguay. The plant is a popular water garden plant in botanical gardens where its very large leaves can reach their fullest, up to 2 m wide with a thick rim up to 20 cm high. It can be grown in cooler waters than its sister within the genus, the more familiar giant waterlily, Victoria amazonica. A 25 cm diameter flower blooms for two days, arising from the underwater bud, as a white flower that turns to a deep pink on the second and final day of its bloom. V. cruziana is a thermogenetic or heat-producing plant. The floral stigma are attached to a cup that is protected by spines, and the floral cup begins heating up in the bud, then, as the flower opens, it releases a strong sweet scent to attract pollinating beetles, then continues to provide heat to the flower while the beetles are pollinating. During the museum's special excursion we will be visiting the greenhouse's lily pond during midnight and have a lectures about waterlilies and admire the blooming Victoria cruziana.

Period	30 May 2017
Event type	Exhibition
Location	Helsinki, Finland
Degree of Recognition	International