BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – A new species of flower has been found and identified in a national park for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The woolly devil (Ovicula biradiata) was found in the remote and rugged desert landscape of Big Bend National Park. Ovicula means tiny sheep, referencing the white “wool” on the leaves, while biradiata speaks to the two red petals in each flower that look like horns.
A supervisory interpretive park ranger and a volunteer with the Texas park’s botany program were the first to spot the tiny plant. They took a photo and started researching species databases, records, and publications. They also posted images online and began to realize that thees tiny plants were unknown to science. In fact, they are not just a new species but an entirely new genus.
The woolly devil also shows promise in terms of health benefits.
“Under the microscope, we noticed specific glands that are known to possess compounds with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties in other plants within the sunflower family,” study co-author Keily Peralta said.
The woolly devil only grows in three known locations in the park, which are being kept secret to protect the plant. Researchers think the plant could be threatened by extinction because it appears to be highly sensitive to weather variations, and climate change is increasing aridity and drought in the region.
“This distinctive wild flower with furry white foliage and maroon ray florets is an ephemeral species that only blooms after rain,” according to the California Academy of Sciences. “It is found in harsh rocky habitats with scant rainfall and grows alongside a variety of drought-tolerant shrubs, such as ocotillo, hedgehog cactus, and creosote.”
The last new plant genus to be discovered in a national park was the July gold shrub, which was found in Death Valley National Park in 1976, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
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