Botanist Identifies New Giant Waterlily Species via Instagram Post
A new giant waterlily species discovered through an Instagram photo faces critical endangerment with only 30-50 plants left in the wild.
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — A newly discovered giant waterlily species has been identified after a leading botanist spotted it in a social media post. The plant, named Victoria colombiana, is already considered critically endangered, with only 30 to 50 individuals estimated to exist in the wild.
The discovery began when Carlos Magdalena, a renowned waterlily expert, came across images of the plant on Instagram. The photos were taken in Colombia’s Inirida region by Jeremiah Harris, who initially thought it was a known species. Magdalena, based at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, suspected it could be something new due to its location outside the known range of similar plants.
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After analyzing satellite imagery and working with local indigenous communities, Magdalena and his team embarked on a night-time boat expedition to locate the plant. They found just two specimens, but a local guide helped them discover a second population of five plants, including one in bloom. This allowed for the formal classification of the species, which was published in the journal Phytotaxa. Researchers now aim to protect the plant by cultivating it in controlled environments and securing its future in the wild.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
