It’s the second largest water lily in the world, the Victoria amazonica, and its blooming white flower lasts for just days.
Ed Read, Cal State Fullerton Biology Greenhouse Complex manager, fans the air around a blooming Victoria amazonica water lily, to take in its fruity fragrance. Although the plant is common in tropical South America, it is rare to see it cultivated from seeds, Read said on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. It took seven years to grow, and the bloom lasted only a few days. For botanist Edward Read, it was worth it.
Read resisted calling the Longwood hybrid a rare flower since he said many horticulturalists have successfully planted it in botanical gardens around the world. But, it probably rarely grows in a tub, and it has certainly never before blossomed at Cal State Fullerton’s Biology Greenhouse Complex, home to myriad semi-exotic plants since 1963.
The spiky leaves of a Victoria amazonica water lily stand at attention in the early morning sun at Cal State Fullerton’s Biology Greenhouse Complex on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Read planted the successful Longwood hybrid seed inside his greenhouse on March 21, three months before its first flower bloomed in the tub outside. To get conditions just right, he kept the young plant in an aquarium where he could easily manipulate water temperature and other conditions. Later, he and two other men transferred the plant outdoors, where it grew like a kraken and is now about 20 feet wide.
But his true love of plants stems from his childhood in Inglewood, where his father grew corn and squash and raised chickens in their backyard.By the time he enrolled in AP biology at Hawthorne High School, Read knew with certainty that he wanted to work with plants for a living. He not only devoured the material in his college-level textbook, but he said he checked out every plant biology book he could get his hands on, poring over the information that fueled his love of plant taxonomy.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cal State University recommends integrating Cal Maritime, Cal Poly San Luis ObispoThe integration, which would be complete by the start of the 2026-27 academic year, requires the approval of the CSU Board of Trustees. The board will be asked to act on the recommendation at its N…
Read more »
CSU recommends merging Cal Maritime with Cal Poly at San Luis ObispoCal Maritime in Vallejo is one of only six maritime academies in the nation that produce U.S. Coast Guard-licensed mariners. Now it may have to merge with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Read more »
Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo may soon integrate with Cal Poly-San Luis ObispoCalifornia State University officials are backing a move to integrate the California Maritime Academy with Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, as the institution in Vallejo faces financial challenges.
Read more »
Michigan State Spartans get commitment from Cal ThrushThe Michigan State Spartans score two in one night as Upper Arlington edge rusher Cal Thrush announces his decision to play for the Green and White.
Read more »
Cal Fire crews make progress on Aero Fire, other state wildfiresCrews also are expected to battle a heat wave that is supposed to hit the interior of the state starting Friday.
Read more »
Pro-Palestinian protesters blast Cal State LA over encampment responseThe Students for Justice in Palestine held a press conference Wednesday, criticizing Cal State LA's response when clearing the encampment on Monday.
Read more »