New water lily species discovered with help from Instagram
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Carlos Magdalena, a botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in London, identified a new species of giant water lily after seeing a photograph on Instagram.
Jeremia Harris, a carnivorous plant enthusiast, originally posted the picture believing it showed a common Victoria amazonica water lily. Magdalena became suspicious because the plant did not grow in the region of Colombia where Harris took the photo, Inirida.
Magdalena then studied satellite images of the area and found a water lily with unique characteristics. Harris confirmed local guides had shown him the same plants, prompting Magdalena to organize an expedition with colleagues. The team initially found only two isolated plants, not flowering, which prevented them from creating a pressed herbarium specimen for comparison.
With help from a member of the local Indigenous community, Magdalena located five more plants, including one in bloom, during his last night in the region. This allowed the team to formally describe the new plant, now named Victoria colombiana. Magdalena described the discovery as a result of combining Indigenous knowledge, botanical expertise, social media, and technology, and a reminder that nature still holds many surprises.
