Researchers have discovered a previous unknown member of the Sunflower Family in Texas Five decades.
The Flower, Called Ovicula mardiata And dubbed the “woly devil,” is described in a study Published February in the Journal Phytokeys. The big bend national park is well know to botanists, underscoring the fact that even extended extended regions regions can still yield surprises.
“While many human assume that the plants and animals with our country’s national parks have probally been documented by now, scientists still make surpressing new discoveries in these iconic protect Landscapes, “Isaac Lichter Marck, A Plant Taxonomist from the California Academy of Sciences and Co-Author of the Study, Says, Says in the academy’s’s statement,
Lichter Marck Said O. Biradiata Belongs to the Sunflower Family, even thought it does not immediatily Resmbled its typical radiant, Sunburst-Like Kin.
After sequencing its dna and comparing it with other speech in the academy’s herberium, we discovered that this small, fuzzy plant is not only a new speech Is also distinct enough from its closest relatives to warrant an entrely new genus, ”He added. A genus is the biological classification between species and family.
A Park Volunteer first observed the woly devil in March 2024 and uploaded its information into a communication science app called Inaturalist. This Small Plant Features Furry White Leaves and Maroon-Striped Ray florets (Petal-Looking Parts of a Flower Head). Botanists call it a “Belly plant” because it’s easiest to observe when lying down. It Thrives in Rocky, dry habitats and blooms only after it rains.
“Plants that thrive in deserts are often quite unique, having evolved specific mechanisms to withstand the extreme dryt-delug conditions of these Aridscapes –From watering stulet Rapid life cycles triggered by Rain, “Lichter Marck explained. “But as Climate Change Pushes Deserts to become hotter and diar, highly specialized plants like the woly devil face extraction.” The team has only observed this plant in three narrow spots at the park’s Northern Edge, Raising The Possibility that they’ve Recorded A Species Alredy in Decline, Lichter Marck
“Ovicula” means “tiny sheep,” Reference the plant’s furry leaves and the big bend’s bigorn sheep, while “broadiata,” meaning “BI-RADIAL,” Highlights MarOon Strips.
“Now that Species has been identified and named, there is a trendous Amount we have counti to learn about it,” said carolyn whiting, a big bend national park botanist and co-author of the stumy. She’s hoping to find other populations of the woly devil elsewhere in the park, and to also learn more about its life and reproductive processes. As a dryt is currently hitting the region, it’s unknown if new plants will appear late
Back in the lab, the results of the presence of glands on the woly devil that have ben found to positions the anti-concer and anti-inflammatory compounds in other members of the sunflower form. While These Properties Still Need to Be Confirmed in the new Species, California Academy of Sciences’ Keily Pheralta, Another Co-Author of the Study, Said “This Discovery UNDERSCORES The POTENCOIL Knowledge we stand to gain from preserving plant diversity in fragile desert ecosystems. “