Brief

Scientists Name New Giant Waterlily Species After Instagram Discovery

The plant, found near the Inírida River, was formally described after a two‑year expedition sparked by a social‑media post.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:18:22 GMT

Researchers have formally described a new giant waterlily species, Victoria colombiana, after a selfie posted on Instagram in December 2021 led them to the plant’s habitat in eastern Colombia, Gizmodo reported.

What happened

In December 2021, U.S. plant‑nursery owner Jeremiah Harris posted a photo of himself beside a massive waterlily in the Inírida region of Colombia. The image was assumed to show the well‑known Victoria amazonica, but botanist Carlos Magdalena of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, noticed that the species was not expected in that river system. Using satellite imagery, Magdalena verified the presence of Victoria plants and contacted Harris, who confirmed the visual match.

Magdalena then teamed up with fellow researcher Mauricio Bernal‑Rodriguez in Bogotá and local indigenous guides. After nearly two years of planning, a five‑day field expedition in the Inírida area was launched. Initial searches yielded two non‑flowering lilies, insufficient for a herbarium voucher. On the final night, with boatman Gustavo Melo’s help, the team located a second cluster, including a flowering specimen. Over the trip they documented seven plants across two lakes and returned just in time to catch their flight.

What the reports add

Gizmodo notes that the discovery was prompted by a social‑media post rather than a traditional survey, highlighting the role of citizen observation in modern taxonomy. The article also mentions that the species may already be critically endangered, though no population estimate is provided.

What was said

"We live in a wonderful world where there are many extraordinary forms of life, all of them unique and many which are being destroyed before we get to know them," lead author Carlos Magdalena told Gizmodo.

How it came about

The find builds on earlier work by Kew botanists cataloguing Amazonian aquatic plants. The new species adds to recent discoveries such as a gentoo penguin variant reported by Felo News in September 2022, underscoring a wave of biodiversity documentation in remote regions.

Key facts

The new waterlily species is named Victoria colombiana. (gizmodo.com)
The plant was first noticed in an Instagram selfie posted by Jeremiah Harris in December 2021. (gizmodo.com)
Researchers spent five days in the Inírida region and collected seven specimens across two lakes. (gizmodo.com)
Carlos Magdalena of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, led the study and coordinated with Mauricio Bernal‑Rodriguez and local indigenous communities. (gizmodo.com)
The species may already be critically endangered. (gizmodo.com)