A chance encounter on social media led to the discovery of a new species of giant water lily that had been hidden deep in the jungles of Colombia.
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Giant water lilies, which can reach up to 3 meters in diameter and support the weight of a small child, are among the oldest flowering plants still in existence. They appeared before the continents separated and have been featured in numerous cultures, from the ancient Egyptians to the painter Monet. Despite their enormous size, which makes them visible from space, they are critically endangered.
Three years ago, Carlos Magdalena, a water lily expert at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was scrolling through Instagram when he came across a photo of a person swimming among giant water lilies in the Inirida River in GuainÃa, Colombia. Jeremiah Harris, who took the photo and runs a carnivorous plant nursery in the United States, was unaware of its significance, misidentifying the plant as the more common Victoria amazonica. But Magdalena immediately suspected something was amiss, as the species' natural range doesn't extend to the Inirida River. He contacted Harris to pinpoint the exact location and spent years analyzing satellite imagery and securing the necessary funding and permits.
Scientific confirmation and a new type
Accompanied by a team from the Bogota Botanical Gardens and members of indigenous reserves, Magdalena embarked on a days-long expedition deep into the rainforest, where they discovered the new species of water lily.
A research paper published in the journal Phytotaxa confirms that it is a new species to science, named "Victoria Colombian a".
The team estimates that between 30 and 50 Victoria Colombiana water lilies remain in the wild, making them extremely rare and endangered. Martin Christenhuisz, the plant taxonomist who analyzed the specimen, said that new species are constantly being discovered, but few are "of this size, grandeur, and symbolism. This new giant water lily can even be seen from space, and it's a stark reminder of how much we still don't know about life on our planet."
The team is now working towards official inclusion on the IUCN Red List. Efforts are also underway to support the long-term conservation of the water lily.
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