How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find

Species with leaves large enough to be seen from space is already critically endangered – and plans are afoot to protect it

A chance social media encounter has led to the race-against-time discovery of a new species of giant waterlily that has until now been hidden in the depths of Colombia’s jungle.

Giant waterlilies, which can measure up to three metres across and carry the weight of a small child, are one of the oldest flowering plants in the world still alive today. They existed before the continents split apart and are present throughout culture, from the Egyptians to Monet.

Jeremiah Harris, who took the photo and who runs a carnivorous plant nursery in the US, was not aware of its significance, having mistakenly identified the waterlily as the more common Victoria amazonica.

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However, when Magdalena saw the photo, he “immediately suspected” something was unusual as the natural range of the Victoria amazonica does not extend to the Inírida River.

Along with a team from the Jardín Botánico in Bogotá and members of the local indigenous reserves, Magdalena went on a five-day expedition deep into the rainforest.

“It was so emotional I shed a tear, it was one of those moments that will remain with me for life,” Magdalena said. “Coming across something like this is absolutely totally fascinating, it’s jaw dropping.

The team collected the material needed to begin a formal identification, with a paper published on Friday in the journal Phytotaxa confirming it as a new species to science. The waterlily has been given the official name Victoria colombiana. There are just three other known giant waterlilies.

Harris, who is an author of the study, said his friends always teased him for taking selfies with plants, but the fact this one ended in the discovery of a new species was “incredible”.

Magdalena said: “This is one of those extraordinary stories where indigenous and horticultural knowledge with the help of social media and technology came together to uncover a truly extraordinary botanical achievement.”

Maarten Christenhusz, a plant taxonomist who analysed the sample, said new species were found all the time, but few were as “large, spectacular and emblematic as this one. This new giant waterlily can even be seen from space, which is a striking reminder of how much we still don’t know about life on our planet.”