Discovery of a new species of Victoria (Nymphaeaceae) in the Orinoco watershed of Colombia

By mapping populations of Victoria on a river drainage map of South America and conducting morphological comparisons, it is obvious that two additional species warrant recognition: Victoria mattogrossensis in the Pantanal region and Victoria colombiana in the upper Orinoco drainage of Colombia. The latter was first noticed in an Instagram post and can be seen from space. We find that lack of known animal dispersers of the seeds and the sensitivity of the seeds to desiccation results in rivers and their floodwaters being the main means of dispersal for Victoria. The isolation of the river basins since the Pliocene in combination with changing river courses over time has putatively resulted in diversification of the genus. The currently five accepted species differ in morphology and distribution. A key to the species and a nomenclatural overview with full synonymy and typification are provided.