There hasn’t been a new plant genus discovered in a US National Park for more than 50 years – so I imagine identifying this one, known now as the “wooly devil,” must have been quite the coup.

Park volunteer Deb Manley was the first one to spot the plant in 2024, at Big Bend National Park in Texas. She uploaded photos to iNaturalist, where it caught the interest of some botanists who then received permission to collect some specimens from the park.

The common name “wooly devil” was decided based on its fuzzy appearance combined with the two red ray florets that resemble horns. It was also first spotted near an area known as the “Devil’s Den.”

It’s scientific name is Ovicula biradiata, and Dr. Isaac Lichter Marck explained more about it in a statement.

“O. biradiata is a member of the sunflower family, although it does not resemble its sunburst-shaped relatives at first glance.”

It might not look like a sunflower on the outside, but knowing a species genetic makeup usually comes in handy anyway.

“After sequencing its DNA and comparing it with other specimens in the California Academy of Science’s herbarium, we discovered that this small, fuzzy plant is not only a new species within the sunflower group, but it is also distinct enough from its closest relatives to warrant an entirely new genus.”

That hasn’t happened in a national park since the July gold shrub was discovered in 1976.

As for the wooly devil, Lichter Mark and others are worried about its survival.

“As climate change pushes deserts to become hotter and drier, highly specialized plants like the wooly devil face extinction. We have only observed this plant in three narrow locations across the northernmost corner of the park, and it’s possible that we’ve documented a species that is already on its way out.”

The location is currently being kept a secret for now, while experts debate whether or not it belongs on a protected list.

Which could be important if it turns out to have medicinal properties, as some have suggested.

“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. While further research is needed to determine these properties, this discovery underscores the potential knowledge we stand to gain from preserving plant diversity in fragile desert ecosystems.”

It’s amazing that with all of the technology we have at our fingertips, new and undiscovered species are still out there, sunning themselves undetected.

Thought that was fascinating? Here’s another story you might like: Why You’ll Never See A Great White Shark In An Aquarium