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Water Lilies Water Lily Family, Nymphaeaceae บัวเผื่อน |
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Water Lilies, (Nymphaeaceae), are aquatic rhizomatous perennial herbs, sometimes with stolons, as well. The leaves grow from the rhizome on long petioles. Most of them float on the surface of the water. The blades have smooth or spine-toothed edges, and they can be rounded or pointed. The flowers rise out of the water or float on the surface, opening during the day or at night. Each has at least 8 petals in shades of white, pink, blue, or yellow. There are many stamens at the center. Water-lily flowers are entomophilous, pollinated by insects, often beetles. The fruit is berry-like and borne on a curving or coiling peduncle. In Thailand, water lilies are pretty much lumped in with lotus and called Bua as well. Queen Victoria's Water Lily (Victoria amazonica) has very large leaves, up to 3 m in diameter, that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m in length. The species was once called Victoria regia after Queen Victoria, but the name was superseded. V. amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbow lakes and bayous. It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. 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 beetles. Wikipedia article |
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Scenic Photography by Gerry Gantt from Thailand, the land of Golden Wats. All images Copyright © 1999 - by Gerry Gantt, all rights reserved. |
