Vitória Régia

Vitória Régia

Vitória Régia, a native of the Amazon River basin, known as "the queen of the lakes", is the largest water lily in the world, whose name was coined as a tribute to Queen Victoria of England.

Leaves can measure up to five and a half feet in diameter. The edges of the leaves are raised and prickly to prevent fish from eating them. Below, the stem goes to the bottom of the water, attached to a bulbous potato shaped root by a fibrous cord covered in thorns.

Floating on the water the Vitória Régia can sustain heavy weights, such as rabbit sized animals.

When it blooms, its petals are white, often slight pink, with red rims. As time passes the color of the flower changes from white to pink, staying open during the day and closing at night.

In the dry season the plants almost disappear, but always return with the floods.

The Legend of the Vitória Régia

On the margins of the majestic Amazon river, so the legend goes, the beautiful young women of an Indian tribe gathered to sing and dream of life. For long hours they stared at the beauty of the white moon, and the mystery of the stars, dreaming of being one of them.

The aroma of the tropical night pulled at their dreams and the moon laid an intense light on the waters, making Naia, the youngest of the tribe and a dreamer, climb a tree in an attempt to touch the moon. She failed in her attempt.

The following day, with her friends, Naia climbed the distant hills to try and feel with their hands the smoothness of the moon, but once more they failed. When they arrived high on the hill, the moon was so far above them that all of them returned to the longhouse feeling disappointed and sad. They believed that if they could touch the moon, or even the stars, they too could be stars and moons.

The following night, a determined Naia left the longhouse to fulfill her dream. She followed the river trails to stare at the river's waters.

There , quietly reflecting its image on the water's surface was the full moon, resplendent, and immense. Innocent, naive Naia thought the moon had come to bathe itself in the river and allow her to touch it. Naia dove into the deep waters and disappeared forever.

The moon, feeling pity for the young lost life, transformed Naia into a giant flower - the Vitória Régia - with an inebriating perfume and petals that spread on the water to receive the full light of the moon.

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