Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia

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1. 3h ago

   Instagram Selfie Leads to Discovery of Rare Giant Water Lily in Colombia

   An international team of researchers confirmed a new species of giant water lily in Colombia named Victoria colombiana, following a chance sighting of an American tourist's Instagram selfie and social media photos. The discovery paper, published in the journal Phytotaxa, details a plant within the genus Victoria featuring leaf pads measuring up to 2 meters, or 6.6 feet, across. The process required a five-day expedition featuring a late-night detour in a Colombian rainforest to verify the find.

   Why it matters

   Giant water lilies are among nature's largest aquatic plants, and this addition nearly doubles the number of known species within the genus. The massive scale of the plant's leaves allows researchers to spot them using satellite imagery in addition to ground observations. Scientists and conservationists are already moving forward with plans to protect the newly identified plant.

   What is confirmed

   • An international team of researchers confirmed the discovery of a new giant water lily species in Colombia named Victoria colombiana.
   • The discovery was triggered by a chance sighting of an Instagram selfie and social media photos.
   • The plant's pads can grow to about 2 meters or 6.6 feet across.
   • The genus Victoria now includes four known species.
   • The research was published in the journal Phytotaxa.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The species may be critically endangered.

   What to watch next

   • Implementation of concrete conservation plans to protect the newly identified species.
   • Further field expeditions to map the full geographic distribution of Victoria colombiana using satellite data.
   Sources used for this update (15)

   1. Phys.org — Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia
   2. People.com — An American Tourist Posted an Instagram Selfie in Colombia. It Helped Scientists Discover a Whole New Species
   3. The Guardian — How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find
   4. New Scientist — Number of known species of giant waterlilies almost doubles
   5. Gizmodo — Someone Posted an Instagram Selfie. Scientists Spotted a Giant New Species in the Background
   6. Phys.org — Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia
   7. digg.com — Number of known giant waterlily species almost doubles · Digg
   8. cashwalklabs.io — Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia | Global Cashwalk
   9. news.mongabay.com — An Instafamous giant water lily is confirmed as a new species ...
   10. www.btin.co.in — Victoria Colombiana Discovery Reveals Rare Giant Water Lily
   11. colombiaone.com — Colombia Discovers New Giant Water Lily Species
   12. www.theguardian.com — How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping ...
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