Scientists have discovered a new plant species in Big Bend National Park, once again highlighting the park’s status as a biodiversity hotspot. After analysis, a scientific analysis of this tiny plant, now known as the “wooly devil,” was published in the botanical journal PhytoKeys.
Discovery and analysis
The plant was first noticed in March 2024 by a park ranger and a volunteer with the Big Bend botany program. The duo was exploring in a remote area in the northern reaches of the park when they noticed tiny plants growing among the desert rocks. As they analyzed the plant, they realized that it was like nothing they had ever seen before.
They compared their photos of the plant with species databases, herbarium records and plant taxonomy publications with no luck. They also consulted area experts and even posted the photos online to help identify their discovery. It eventually became clear that this plant was a species previously unknown to science.
Each year, plant scientists discover and publish about 1850 new species worldwide, according to Director of the Institute of Systematic Botany Douglas C. Daly. But this is the first discovery of both a new genus and species of plant in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years.
Scientists determined that this plant is not only a new species but also a new genus in the sunflower family. The scientific name chosen, Ovicula biradiata, was inspired by the plant’s wooly appearance and striking red petals. Ovicula means “tiny sheep,” referring to the thick white hairs that cover the plant’s leaves. Biradiata refers to the two “biradial” florets of the plant’s flowers.
The plant is so small that is considered what botanists colloquially term a “belly plant,” meaning that it can only really be seen when lying flat on the ground.
Looking ahead
So far, scientists have only found the plant in narrow locations across the northernmost corner of the park. Because the harsh desert conditions force plants to adapt in specific ways, the plant is at risk of changing climates.
“As climate change pushes deserts to become hotter and drier, highly specialized plants like the wooly devil face extinction,” said Lichter Marck, a researcher on the project, in a release. “It’s possible that we’ve documented a species that is already on its way out.”
Before sounding the alarm, there’s a lot that the researchers have to learn about the plant. “I’m excited to discover whether there are other populations in the park, the details of its life cycle, what pollinates it, and whether we’ll observe it this spring, given the current drought,” said Big Bend National Park botanist Carolyn Whiting.
Many might assume that the national parks’ flora and fauna would have been completely mapped out by now, but there are always exciting discoveries around the bend.
Get involved
Visitors to the parks can contribute to this effort by documenting plants and wildflowers they encounter, especially following spring rains, and uploading their observations to iNaturalist.
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