Tania Gail water lily. "The giant water lily (Victoria amazonica) has special adaptations to support it in the water while keeping it laid flat. The pattern of supporting ribs may have inspired the network of metal girders around which the Crystal Palace was built for Britain's Great Exhibition in 1851. The underside is covered with sharp, inch-long spines which protect the pad from herbivorous fishes. The spines are apparently toxic."
