Plant · GBIF taxon 7166688
Santa Cruz Waterlily
Victoria cruzianaAlso 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
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
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)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyNymphaeaceae
- SpeciesVictoria cruziana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- 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.
Close Relative Bilby / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Andy Jordan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andy Jordan · cc-by
Distant Relative Jacek Halicki / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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