Scientists Identify New Giant Waterlily Species in Colombia

Scientists formally identified Victoria colombiana as a new giant waterlily species on 9 October 2026. The findings were published in the botanical journal Phytotaxa. The species is the fourth scientifically recognised member of the genus Victoria.

Taxonomy and Physical Features

Victoria is a genus of giant waterlilies in the family Nymphaeaceae, whose members are aquatic flowering plants. Victoria colombiana produces floating leaves that can reach 2 metres across. The genus is native to South America, where its species grow in freshwater habitats. The genus also includes Victoria amazonica, Victoria cruziana and Victoria boliviana. These species are distinguished through scientific examination of features such as leaves, flowers and other plant structures.

Discovery and Identification

The discovery process began in 2021, when Carlos Magdalena, a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, saw photographs of an unusual waterlily on Instagram. The photographs had been posted by American plant enthusiast Jeremiah Harris. Magdalena joined researchers from the Bogotá Botanical Garden and members of Indigenous communities on a five-day expedition to Colombia’s Inírida region in the department of Guainía. The team located a flowering specimen in a secluded lake with help from Gustavo Melo, a boatman from the Indigenous Tucano community. The flowering specimen enabled the researchers to formally identify the species.

Population and Conservation

Researchers estimate that between 30 and 50 individual Victoria colombiana plants survive in the wild. The species is classified as critically endangered. Conservation measures under consideration include growing plants from collected seeds in Bogotá and at Kew Gardens, and establishing protected populations within Indigenous territories.

Important Facts for Exams

• Victoria colombiana belongs to the genus Victoria and the family Nymphaeaceae.
• Victoria colombiana is the fourth scientifically recognised species in the genus Victoria.
• Phytotaxa is a botanical journal in which the species’ formal identification was published.
• The Inírida region is in Colombia’s Guainía department.

The largest reported leaves of Victoria colombiana measure up to 2 metres across. The species was identified from a flowering specimen collected during field research in the Inírida region.