How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find
Summary
A new giant waterlily species named Victoria colombiana was discovered in Colombia’s jungle after a rare photo appeared on Instagram. The plant is very large, critically endangered, and was confirmed by scientists after a jungle expedition and research.Key Facts
- The giant waterlily can grow up to three meters wide and support the weight of a small child.
- It is one of the oldest flowering plants, existing before the continents separated.
- Carlos Magdalena, a waterlily expert, saw the Instagram photo of the plant in the Inírida River, Colombia.
- The photo was taken by Jeremiah Harris, who first thought the plant was a common species (Victoria amazonica).
- Magdalena suspected the plant’s location was unusual, leading to an expedition in the rainforest with local indigenous people.
- The team found the waterlily population just before their return flight after searching for several days.
- Scientists named the new species Victoria colombiana and estimate only 30-50 plants remain in the wild.
- This discovery highlights that many large and important species are still unknown to science.
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