The wooly devil, formally named Ovicula biradiata, is a newly identified sunflower plant species and genus discovered in Big Bend National Park by volunteers in 2024. The plant's identification created excitement in the botanical community after images were shared on iNaturalist. The research team utilized DNA sequencing and electron microscopy to analyze the plant, ultimately determining it didn't fit within any existing genera, making it both a new species and genus. This simultaneous discovery is considered rare in botany, and the plant's name reflects its unique characteristics.
When Manley uploaded photos to the community science app iNaturalist, botanists got excited. 'That kind of caused an uproar... it caused an email chain of different botanists emailing each other,' says Isaac Lichter Marck.
It was very clear at first that it was a member of the sunflower family... all members of the sunflower family have flowers that are made up of a bunch of flowers put together,
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