A new plant species, the 'wooly devil,' is discovered in Big Bend
The plant, formally known as Ovicula biradiata, is especially notable for being the simultaneous discovery of a new species and genus. It was found with help from the community science app iNaturalist.
This Tiny Fuzzy Plant is Called the Wooly Devil. It’s the First New Genus Discovered in a US National Park in 50 Years
In sun-scorched expanse of Big Bend National Park, where the Chihuahuan Desert stretches seemingly endlessly, Deb Manley was lying on her stomach, peering at the ground. What she saw was no ordinary desert plant.
See the "Wooly Devil," new plant species discovered at a U.S. national park for the first time in nearly 50 years
The Wooly Devil, or Ovicula biradiata​, was first spotted by botany volunteer Deb Manley and a park ranger in Big Bend National Park in Texas in March 2024.
New species of fuzzy sunflower found by national park volunteer
The team sequenced the plant’s DNA and compared it with other specimens in the California Academy of Sciences’ herbarium. The sequencing revealed that this small and fuzzy plant is both a new species within the sunflower group and distinct enough to be a completely new genus.
Meet the 'Wooly Devil,' the First New Plant Genus Discovered in a National Park Since 1976
Deb Manley was exploring a remote area of Big Bend National Park when she spotted something unusual on the ground. Tiny, fuzzy, flowering plants were sprouting up from between the desert rocks in the Texas park’s northern region.
Meet the 'Wooly Devil,' the new plant species discovered at Big Bend National Park
A new fuzzy plant species called the "Wooly Devil" has been discovered amongst the arid landscapes of Big Bend National Park in Texas.
New plant species discovered in Big Bend National Park after 50 years
In Big Bend National Park, a tiny plant previously unknown to science has been discovered by two park staff members. This is the first discovery of a new genus and species of plant in a U.S. national park for nearly 50 years.
‘Devil’-like flower with ‘horns’ found in Texas is new species. Its location is secret
A volunteer at Texas’ Big Bend National Park spotted bright red blooms after rain in a remote stretch of desert, leading to ...
Houston Chronicle6d
Researchers discover new species of sunflower dubbed the 'wooly devil' at Big Bend National Park
The wooly devil, which was first observed in 2024 by park volunteer Deb Manley, is a small fur-covered wildflower that only blooms after rainfall — something academy researcher Isaac Lichter ...
WAMC2d
Meet the 'wooly devil,' a new plant species discovered in Big Bend National Park
The plant was found on a hike in the park's backcountry in March 2024 by park volunteer Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt, a park interpretive operations supervisor. When Manley uploaded photos to the ...