Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 7166688

Santa Cruz Waterlily

Victoria cruziana

Also known as Santa Cruz Giant Water Lily, Yrupe

Santa Cruz waterlilies produce massive floating leaves with high upturned rims that prevent overlapping and trap air for buoyancy. Their short-lived night-blooming flowers open pure white with a warm pineapple scent to attract pollinating scarab beetles, turning deep pink on their second night. Sharp spines coat the undersides of the pads and stems to defend against browsing aquatic animals.

AquaticFloweringNight-blooming
Santa Cruz Waterlily reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Patricio Cowper Coles, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patricio Cowper Coles · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Photosynthetic
Predators
  • Herbivorous fish
  • Manatees
  • Water snails
ThreatsHabitat loss, water pollution, and wetland drainage
HabitatsSlow-moving rivers, swamps, and oxbow lakes
Life spanPerennial (often annual in cultivation)
Classification
  1. FamilyNymphaeaceae
  2. SpeciesVictoria cruziana
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Timing: Visit botanical garden greenhouses in the evening to see fresh blooms open.
  • Observation: Look beneath the leaf rims to spot the dense protective spines.
  • Fragrance: Catch the pineapple scent given off by freshly opened white flowers.
Related species
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