Giant water lily leaves cover the surface of a pond in the botanical gardens of this Indian Ocean island state.
Formerly known as the Royal Botanical Gardens, the reserve was renamed in 1988 in honour of the first prime minister of the country, following its independence. However, today it is commonly called the Pamplemousse Gardens, and occupies roughly 93 hectares.
Photo © Alexxx86 (Self-published work by Alexxx86) [GFDL], CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Of the 500 plant species that occur here, there are some 80 species of palm trees, and these huge water lilies, which originate from the Amazon. Their platter-like leaves grow to one metre in diameter, and their flowers, which last just 48 hours, have a heady fragrance.
In which island state are the gardens found?
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