A Kew Gardens horticulturist has discovered a species of water lily always thought to be a hybrid was in fact a species in its own right.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Good find: A valley full of lillies gave the game away

Carlos Magdalena, who saved the world’s smallest water lily from extinction six years ago, took part in a three week water lily hunting field expedition in Western Australia, with workers from Kings Park Botanic Gardens, Perth, and the University of Western Australia.

The group was to collect as many native species as possible for cultivation and study, while developing the germination and storage of water lily seeds found in Kimberley and Queensland.

Covering hundreds of miles by road and helicopter, the group entered lakes, ponds and creeks to examine waterlillies before travelling to a remote spot in Kimberley, where the exciting eureka moment happend.

The water lily was originally thought to be a hybrid of two others.

But Mr Magdalena realised it was a separate species because one half of the supposed parent hybrid was only found thousands of kilometres away.

Mr Magdalena, a resident tropic plant and water lily expert at the Royal Botanic Gardens, said: "After years of wondering about this plant, it was huge a surprise to make this discovery.

"Finding the first population was a shock, but then we found creeks filled with just this species - it was breathtaking.

"It is vitally important that we have a thorough knowledge of how many species there are out there. Without it, it is impossible to protect them.

"Plant conservation of this nature is at the very heart of what Kew exists to do."

The water lily discovery will now be backed up with DNA analysis before it is officially named and, if the lily is successfully grown at Kew Gardens, it will be available for international researchers to study.