Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Top 4 th Newly Discovered Species of 2012


 Picture of a violet the size of a U.S. penny


Penny-Sized Flower



Image courtesy Harvey Ballard via ASU


Not only is this newly described violet (Viola lilliputana) one of the smallest violets known, it's also one of the smallest terrestrial flowers in the world. (Learn more about flowering plants.)


Found in the Andes of Peru, scientists first collected specimens in the 1960s. But it wasn't until December 2012 that researchers formally described this new species in a paper.


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