Fuzzy new 'wooly devil' plant species discovered at Texas national park
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas – Two national park staff members made an astonishing discovery while walking through Texas' Big Bend National Park last year that has resulted in a new classification of a plant species.
The park rangers noticed tiny plants sprinkled among desert rocks while walking in a remote area of the park last March. The two realized the flowers didn't look like anything they had seen before.
The rangers took photos of their discovery and upon further investigation, it was determined the plant was previously unknown to science.
The results of a genetic analysis have now revealed the plant is so distinctive that it was not merely a new plant species. It is best classified as an entirely new genus within the Asteraceae (Daisy) family.
This is the first new genus and species of plant discovered in a National Park in over 50 years, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
The name Ovicula Biradiata was given based on its fascinating appearance. Ovicula means "Tiny Sheep," in reference to the fuzzy white "wool" that covers the leaves. Biradiata references the two ray petals in each flower.
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Researchers working on the plant have also referred to it as the "Wooly Devil."
"I'm excited to discover whether there are other populations in the park, details of its life cycle, what are the pollinators, and due to the current drought, if it will be observed at all this spring," said Big Bend National Park Superintendent Anjna O'Connor.
Big Bend National Park covers over 800,000 acres and has a wide range of habitat types, including riparian ecosystems, low desert bajadas, and sky island woodlands at higher elevations, according to the National Park Service.Original article source: Fuzzy new 'wooly devil' plant species discovered at Texas national park
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