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Instagram Selfie Leads to Find of Giant New Water Lily
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- A 2021 Instagram selfie taken in Colombia's Inirida region led scientists to discover a new species of giant water lily, Victoria colombiana, now described in the journal Phytotaxa.
- The plant, with pads up to 6.6 feet across, was first noticed online by botanist Carlos Magdalena, who realized it shouldn't exist in that location.
- Following satellite imagery analysis, collaboration with Colombian researchers, and Indigenous community assistance, a five-day expedition confirmed the species' existence when a flower was found blooming on the final night.
- Victoria colombiana is the fifth known species in the Victoria genus but is critically endangered, with an estimated 30 to 50 plants remaining in the wild.
- Efforts are underway to secure a "critically endangered" status from the IUCN and to establish monitored populations in local lakes and botanical gardens in Colombia and the UK, combining Indigenous knowledge, horticultural expertise, and modern technology.
