Aquatic Flowers on stamps…

 

Date of Issue : 27 June 2014

Here are new stamps from Philippine Post featuring aquatic flowers found in Philippines . The details of these flowers are given below -

Amazon lily Victoria amazonica – Native to the Amazon River basic, Giant Water Lily is the largest size member of the Water lily family. The plant has very large leaves, up to 2-3 m in diameter, that float on the water’s surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m in length. The edges turn up to form a rim. Underside of leaf is coppery red. The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night, and purple subsequently. They are up to 9-12 inches in diameter, and are pollinated by beetles. The flowers are also strongly fragrant.

Water lily Nymphaea – Water lily (family Nymphaeaceae), any of 58 species in 6 genera of freshwater plants native to the temperate and tropical parts of the world. Most species of water lilies have rounded variously notched, waxy-coated leaves on long stalks that contain many air spaces and float in quiet freshwater habitats. The stalks arise from thick, fleshy, creeping underwater stems that are buried in the mud. The showy, fragrant, solitary flowers are borne at or above the water surface on long stalks that are attached to the underground stems.

Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes – Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height. The leaves are 10–20 cm across, and float above the water surface.

They have long, spongy and bulbous stalks. The feathery, freely hanging roots are purple-black. An erect stalk supports a single spike of 8-15 conspicuously attractive flowers, mostly lavender to pink in color with six petals. When not in bloom, water hyacinth may be mistaken for frog’s-bit (Limnobium spongia).

Marsh marigold Caltha palustris – Also known as Kingcup, Marsh Marigold is most often found in soggy, ground such as wet woodland, ditches, stream margins, ponds, bogs and marshes.  The flowers are held in loose, clusters on stout, hollow stems which also bear deep green, kidney shaped, fleshy leaves which increase in size after the plant has flowered.  This is a native plant, it is poisonous and it belongs to the family Ranunculaceae.