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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas traditionally has recognized a |
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variety of official symbols as tangible representations of the |
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proud character and colorful heritage of the Lone Star State; |
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select plant varieties, including the bluebonnet and the prickly |
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pear cactus, have received official recognition, which has served |
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to draw attention to the great biological diversity of our |
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landscape; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas supports not only an abundance of land-based |
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plants but also many aquatic species, and one particular type of |
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waterlily comes to the forefront as an especially worthy symbol of |
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the state: Nymphaea Texas Dawn; and |
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WHEREAS, A hardy and exceptionally lovely plant, Nymphaea |
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Texas Dawn is a hybrid that was created in 1985 by Texas resident |
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Kenneth Landon, a world-renowned expert in the field of Nymphaea |
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and the director of the International Waterlily Collection in San |
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Angelo; described as one of the most stunning yellow waterlilies to |
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be introduced in more than a century, N. Texas Dawn frequently |
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blooms 10 inches above the surface of the water in clusters of six |
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or more; in early spring, the base of the petals produces a light |
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orange glow, and in late summer and fall, the flowers may suffuse |
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with pink; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1990, N. Texas Dawn received the American Award |
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from the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society (IWGS); |
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more recently, it was accorded top ranking among aquatic plants in |
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the rigorous Texas Superstar program of the Texas Cooperative |
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Extension of Texas A&M University, and the species is listed by |
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other hybridizers as a parent for more than a dozen named |
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waterlilies; and |
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WHEREAS, N. Texas Dawn has been featured prominently at the |
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International Waterlily Collection in San Angelo, which was |
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established by Mr. Landon in 1988 in a little-used pond in Civic |
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League Park; in the years since, the collection has become |
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recognized as one of the most important exhibits of its kind in the |
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world, and it was the focal point of the 2010 symposium of the IWGS; |
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the presence of this widely admired facility has given Texas great |
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prominence among water gardening enthusiasts, and it makes the |
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designation of N. Texas Dawn as the state waterlily all the more |
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appropriate; and |
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WHEREAS, This noteworthy species is the first waterlily to be |
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named for Texas, and its unique beauty and resilient character |
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indeed make it a fitting symbol for the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Nymphaea Texas Dawn as the official State |
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Waterlily of Texas. |