Description
Whenever I see one of these polypetalous water lilies I think of a word biologists used to use a lot more often – “monstrosity.” For example, Charles Darwin in the Origin of Species (1859): “We have also what are called monstrosities; but they graduate into varieties. By a monstrosity I presume is meant some considerable deviation of structure, generally injurious to or not useful to the species.” These flowers certainly are not as effective as a normal water lily flower at attracting bees in order to facilitate pollination and seed production – of course the main function of flowers – so they do indeed appear to be “not useful.” On the other hand, since we have taken over the propagation of these varieties through division they don’t need to produce seeds to be evolutionarily successful.
Anyway, if big, fluffy, peony-like flowers are your thing, here’s your water lily (along with ‘Gloire-du-Temple-sur-Lot’ and ‘Lily Pons’). And even if bees can’t find the pollen hidden in this flower apparently humans can: there are modern water lily breeders creating polypetalous varieties in a wider variety of colors – coming to a nursery near you in the near future.
