Giant Lily Pad

The world’s largest lily pad can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) wide and support the weight of a child. Despite its impressive size, this massive species of waterlily was only recently identified by scientists.

For more than a century, there were only two known species of giant waterlily. Both native South American plants belong to the genus Victoria. But Carlos Magdalena, a horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in England, suspected the two species were actually three.

To test his theory, Magdalena started growing waterlily seeds sent by researchers in Bolivia. He noticed the seeds’ shape and the plants’ leaves differed from other giant waterlilies. This, combined with historical records and a study of the plant’s DNA—the molecule that carries hereditary material—helped confirm the existence of the new species: Victoria boliviana.