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Guyana's National Flower
The Victoria Amazonica/Regia
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This water lily is named after Queen Victoria and is native to the
Amazon and surrounding areas in South America. In 1836, the flower was first
described by E.F. Poeppig, a German explorer. He named the lily Euryale Amazonica.
During the same year, another explorer, Richard Schomburgk described the same flower in
British Guiana. He named it Victoria Regia, after the Queen of England. The
official name was accepted as Victoria Amazonica, however it is still known to the locals
as the Victoria Regia. |
| The are several different species of large water lilies named Victoria. The Amazonica is perhaps the largest. Its leaves can grow to more than 8 feet across, colored green or yellowish green. The outer side of the rim is dark | ||
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pink and can grow in length to approximately 5 inches. The flower of the Amazonica blooms for about two nights, nevertheless, its flower can measure up to 10 inches across when fully opened. This beautiful flower emits a powerful smell that is reminiscent of its tropical origins, a | |
| combination of bananas and ripe pineapple.The
seeds are quite nutritious and are used as food by the natives of the Amazon. |
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Guyana's National Bird
The Hoatzin
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The hoatzin is a very primitive looking bird that has a close resemblance to some of the earliest bird fossils; thus, Guyana's national bird is believed to be evolved from dinosaurs. Its scientific name, Opisthocomus hoatzin, means "pheasant with a crest down its back." This bird has a short fat body, stout legs and feet, a long broad tail, long scruffy neck, and a tiny head capped by a crest of spiky feathers. Chestnut-brown feathers with a bright blue face and red eyes as well as a strong musky odor that keeps away predators also characterize the hoatzin. The hoatzin is definitely a distinctive bird. First of all, it
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