Lily ID from China?

[miguynmkoi]

This little pond in the TurtleHead Islet Park in Wuxi, China had a section for lotus and a section for lilies.  One of the lilies I photgraphed below has very large pads covered with thorns of many sizes.  Does this look like a possible Victoria type lily?  I thought it looked very dominate in this pond.  Would love to see it in the summer while blooming!

[miguynmkoi]

Here is the Tea House over the pond and the lotus section of the pond.  I tried as I might to find a lotus pod with seeds but the ones I could reach, and there weren't many, were all empty.  Even my kids tried to find some for me while walking along the banks of the pond.  Drats!

[JoshS]

The lily is a Euryale ferox.  Not a Victoria, but a close relative.

http://www.victoria-adventure.org/victoria/euryale_gallery.html

[marla]

Yep, I was given a very small one last year but it did not survive long, I do not think my pond water here in WI was warm enough for it even in the summer.
Beautiful pictures miguynmkoi, I would love to go to China someday, my SIL goes twice a year, next year she plans on going with a friend and her daughter as a somewhat guide for the daughters graduation.  She asked me if one of my daughters would like to go also,  was wishing she would have said me.

[miguynmkoi]

Thank you Josh!  I read the article (Yours?!! Are we ever lucky to have you!  ) about the characteristics I was able to see in this pond.  Had I known they bloom under water I would have looked harder.    It was very cold when we visited (remember I'm from southern California and cannot survive temps below 65*  ) and was surprised to see this lily still growing and surviving the cold temps.  The Euryale is beautiful in this Wuxi pond but definitely out of my pond's reaches.

Very interesting find for me. 

[miguynmkoi]

Marla, you must make time to go to China before it gets too expensive to travel this part of the world.  Also there are many changes happening over the years especially for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, just for tourism money (cheesy attractions and access) but what they really need to do in China is modernize the public toilet department!    That's a whole other story!

[karen J]

miguynmkoi, I agree we are very lucky to have Josh hanging around. Your pics are so nice... one of these days I'd love to go to China... And India!.. And South America!
 
Got to get the kids grown and out of the house before we are free to do so, 

[JoshS]

You can see a bunch of buds in your photos.  A lot of times the flowers only open partially and almost always self pollinate.  They are small and not very impressive, so you didn't miss much!

Euryale are much more cold tolerant than Victorias.  Marla, I would try again.  I've grown them several times here in Iowa.  It could be your plant was too small to withstand the cool temps.  The bigger the plant, the more forgiving it is.  It may have been the year, too...it was not a good year to grow Victorias in Iowa.

[miguynmkoi]

Thanks Josh!  I wondered about the flowers and cannot believe there were so many buds on that lily!  In person, you are right, they didn't look so impressive but just the amount of buds just blows me away.    And, considering the size of the pads the blooms seem so small, relatively. 

[marla]

Josh...Not sure I have the room for the spread now that I see miguynmkoi's picture I would probably have to build another pond just for it.  Always thought it would be cool to have Victorias also but no room, the aquatic nursery near us has them, they are so neat.