New Giant Waterlily and 'Botanical Wonder of the World' Discovered in Kew
A new species of giant waterlily, Victoria boliviana, at Royal Botanic Gardens, in Kew, Richmond.
Photographer: Dominic Lipinski/PA Images/Getty Images
A giant waterlily held in Kew's Botanic Gardens for 177 years has been revealed as a species new to science and "one of the botanical wonders of the world".
The famous giant waterlily, genus Victoria, was named after Queen Victoria in 1852, and was believed to include two different species. But scientists have confirmed the massive plant in Kew is a third type.