By: Darby (Senate Sponsor - Duncan) H.C.R. No. 24
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2011;
May 3, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Government Organization; May 18, 2011, reported favorably by the
following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 18, 2011, sent to printer.)
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas traditionally has recognized a
variety of official symbols as tangible representations of the
proud character and colorful heritage of the Lone Star State;
select plant varieties, including the bluebonnet and the prickly
pear cactus, have received official recognition, which has served
to draw attention to the great biological diversity of our
landscape; and
WHEREAS, Texas supports not only an abundance of land-based
plants but also many aquatic species, and one particular type of
waterlily comes to the forefront as an especially worthy symbol of
the state: Nymphaea Texas Dawn; and
WHEREAS, A hardy and exceptionally lovely plant, Nymphaea
Texas Dawn is a hybrid that was created in 1985 by Texas resident
Kenneth Landon, a world-renowned expert in the field of Nymphaea
and the director of the International Waterlily Collection in San
Angelo; described as one of the most stunning yellow waterlilies to
be introduced in more than a century, N. Texas Dawn frequently
blooms 10 inches above the surface of the water in clusters of six
or more; in early spring, the base of the petals produces a light
orange glow, and in late summer and fall, the flowers may suffuse
with pink; and
WHEREAS, In 1990, N. Texas Dawn received the American Award
from the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society (IWGS);
more recently, it was accorded top ranking among aquatic plants in
the rigorous Texas Superstar program of the Texas Cooperative
Extension of Texas A&M University, and the species is listed by
other hybridizers as a parent for more than a dozen named
waterlilies; and
WHEREAS, N. Texas Dawn has been featured prominently at the
International Waterlily Collection in San Angelo, which was
established by Mr. Landon in 1988 in a little-used pond in Civic
League Park; in the years since, the collection has become
recognized as one of the most important exhibits of its kind in the
world, and it was the focal point of the 2010 symposium of the IWGS;
the presence of this widely admired facility has given Texas great
prominence among water gardening enthusiasts, and it makes the
designation of N. Texas Dawn as the state waterlily all the more
appropriate; and
WHEREAS, This noteworthy species is the first waterlily to be
named for Texas, and its unique beauty and resilient character
indeed make it a fitting symbol for the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate Nymphaea Texas Dawn as the official State
Waterlily of Texas.
* * * * *