Instagram Selfie Accidentally Leads to Discovery of Giant Waterlily Species
- Scientists formally identified a new giant waterlily species, Victoria colombiana, after spotting it in an Instagram photograph. Findings were published today in the journal Phytotaxa.
- Carlos Magdalena, a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, suspected a new species five years ago after seeing Jeremiah Harris's Instagram post. Magdalena noted the plant's natural range did not include the Inirida River.
- During a five-day expedition, researchers struggled to find blooming specimens until local guide Gustavo Melo led them to a new population at dawn. They identified seven plants across two lakes, securing samples for study.
- Researchers estimate only 30 to 50 waterlilies remain in the wild, classifying the species as critically endangered. The team plans to submit the plant to the International Union for Conservation of Nature for official designation.
- To prevent extinction, scientists are cultivating seeds at the Jardin Botanico de Bogota Jose Celestino Mutis. They hope to eventually grow the species at Kew Gardens while establishing protected populations near local indigenous residents.
21 Articles
21 Articles
A new article published today in Phytotaxa magazine reveals a new species of the genus Victoria, the giant Colombian nymphea (Victoria colombiana). With only three other species...
Instagram Selfie Leads to Find of Giant New Water Lily
An Instagram post was simply assumed to show off a selfie. Instead, it ended up dreaming a new species. Scientists say a 2021 photo taken in Colombia's Inirida region led them to a previously unknown giant water lily, now named Victoria colombiana and described this week in the newspaper Phytotaxa...
Five years ago, Gijonés Carlos Magdalena, researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew (London), saw on Instagram some photos taken in the Colombian region of Inírida in which a giant water lilies appeared. The images had been captured by the director of a carnivorous plant nursery in the U.S., who erroneously identified the new species as the most common, Victoria amazonica. However, Magdalena, known as the 'plant mesies' for her ability to '…
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