Three new giant waterlily species identified in recent years
Researchers identified three new giant waterlily species in recent years, including one discovered through social media and satellite imagery. The Colombian giant waterlily has pads up to 2 meters wide.
This adds to the limited number of known species in the Victoria genus and highlights new methods for discovery.
- journal
- Phytotaxa
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Discovery method
One species was found via an Instagram post and satellite images, showing the role of public engagement in scientific discovery.
Species size
The Colombian giant waterlily has leaf pads reaching up to 2 meters in diameter, comparable to other known species in the genus.
Common questions
How was the new species discovered?
The species was identified through a social media post and satellite imagery, which led researchers to investigate further.
Sources
- Number of known species of giant waterlilies almost doubles By Michael Le Page, New Scientist · newscientist.com
- Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia Phys.org · phys.org
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