Heliconia spp.
I spent some time in Oxford last weekend at a family wedding, and on Sunday visited the Oxford Botanic Garden. This is strictly a teaching garden, yet it still manages to combine beauty with academic presentation.
Leaf Scars
Cannabis sativa
This is the hemp plant, now being grown again in the UK as a mainstream crop for fibre production used in textiles and papermaking. All the psychoactive (THC) component has been bred out for commercial growing. It still smells good though.
Solanum spp
I cannot remember the species name of this Solanum, but I was seized by the colour harmony.
Waterlily and dragonfly
There were many of these small, electric blue dragonflies darting, hovering and mating in the hot sunshine.
Waterlily flower and Euryale leaf
The leaf in the background belongs to an aquatic waterlily-like plant called Euryale ferox
Victoria lily
The large floating leaf in the background is that of the Victoria Lily.
As a boy I saw a picture in a book of this amazing plant. It showed a small befrocked Edwardian girl, a floppy bow in her hair and a simpering expression on her face, sitting on a Victoria Lily leaf to demonstrate that it could support the weight of a small child.
The gigantic leaf can grow to 6 feet (2 metres) in diameter.
By the time I saw Victoria regia in real life, I was sadly much too big and heavy to try sitting on it, with or without a bow in my hair…
3 Comments
Dear Sir/Madam
My name is Ola, I’m writing you from Spain. I represent a water gardening company “water landscapes”, Israel. We are looking for Victoria Lily seeds. Do you have any in your supply? Or maybe you can be so kind to suggest me who should I refer to in UK for the seeds and for growing instructions. I’ll be very grateful for your help.
If you are interested in our work, I can e-mail you a presentation of our projects
Sincerely
Water Landscapes
volodol@gmail.com
sandemanseeds.comTry http://www.sandemanseeds.com/
They would be a good starting point. Also, try writing to the Oxford Botanic Garden.
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