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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Victoria amazonica
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Giant water lily, named after the queen, which caused a sensation when it first flowered in England. Seeds had been sent from South America to *Kew Gardens, where three germinated in 1849; one was kept at *Kew, one sent to nearby *Syon and one to *Chatsworth, where *Paxton was gardener. That year only Paxton's flowered. In celebration his 7-year-old daughter Annie was placed on one of of the great leaves, dressed as a fairy (though the Illustrated London News depicted her in her own clothes). Paxton said later that the light structure but great strength of the leaf had partly inspired the *Crystal Palace. In 1850 the lily flowered also at Kew, where it remains one of the great attractions.
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