Kew's top 10 new species of 2022

1. The Queen's hedgehog fungus (Hydnum reginae)

Not an animal, as you might expect, Queen's hedgehog is a white fungus named in part after the soft white spines found underneath its cap, replacing the gills found in many other mushroom species, and in part for Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II.

You'll find Queen's hedgehog in just one area of Great Britain — the ancient beech forests of White Down in Surrey. But this is not the only place you'll find it worldwide 

Known as Hydnum albidum for more than 130 years, the species' distribution was thought to spread across North America and throughout Europe. That was until new genetic research by Kew and partners found clear distinctions between the American and European variants, revealing a new species on our doorstep. 

3. The world's largest giant waterlily, Victoria boliviana

A huge moment for us here at Kew, earlier in 2022 we formally separated Victoria boliviana from the other two giant waterlily species: Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana 

The plant is enormous, with leaves reaching lengths of 3.3m across the surface of the water on which they lie. This creates such buoyancy that sometimes the plant is capable of supporting the weight of a small child. 

Nearly two centuries have passed since the original two species had been identified by science, and in fact, a dried specimen of this third species had existed here in Kew's Herbarium for more than 170 years — a botanical time capsule. 

It was the keen eyes of Botanical Horticulturalist Carlos Magdalena and Botanical Artist Lucy Smith that raised suspicion of the plant's uniqueness from its relatives, with differences in some key traits. 

Modern DNA analysis by our Kew Scientists, Oscar A. Perez Escobar and Natalia Przelomska, confirmed the species split, and so this giant discovery in partnership with 16 other Bolivian and European scientists became one of our year's highlights. 

Victoria boliviana arrives on the world stage with the conservation status of Vulnerable, so there's still work to do to ensure the species' future is secure. 

5. Denise's 'orchid of the falls' (Saxicolella denisea) — Extinct on arrival 

Orchids of the falls, as they're known, are extremely niche specialists. They're found primarily in areas of aerated white water, with some species known to as little as a single waterfall. 

The adaptations needed to live in such conditions are so specific that the plants have enjoyed little competition from other species for millennia, though now they face a threat to their habitat. 

An urgent push to find alternatives to fossil fuels in powering our planet has fruited many alternatives, some far more viable than others. Hydroelectric dams are one where the picture is complex.

Dams need to be in solid foundations of rock, where there is a drop in water. When placed on waterfalls, they significantly disturb miniature ecosystems that may not exist anywhere else on Earth, as well as significant areas of the surrounding landscape. 

The most recent to fall victim to such disturbance is a new species — Saxicolella denisea. Formerly found on the Konkouré River of Guinea, West Africa, it most likely met its end last year when the region was flooded for development of a hydroelectric dam 30km downstream.

It's a keen reminder that solutions to the challenge we face from climate change must go hand in hand with solutions to protect and restore our planet's biodiversity.

7. Cyanoboletus mediterraneensis, the bruising ink bolete 

Researchers from here at Kew and the University of Cagliari together with a citizen scientist from Reggio Emilia, Italy have described a new species of Mediterranean bolete.

Officially named Cyanoboletus mediterraneensis, the fungus was found in Northern Israel and Sardinia, Italy.

Individuals were first found by researchers in 2012, and identified based on its morphology (form, shape or structure) as another bolete species that is common across temperate Europe.

It was only with additional collections and modern DNA studies that the discovery of a whole new species was made. 

This small to medium sized bolete has a charismatic lemon-yellow stipe (stem), which turns an intense dark blue when handled or damaged. 

As the Mediterranean region is a hotspot for climate change, many of the species growing there are of a particular interest.

More studies will be needed to understand this bolete's full distribution, and ensure its longevity in the years to come.

9. Ipomoea aequatoriensis, a new morning glory

The sweet potato is a major food crop originating from tropical America, providing food for millions every day. 

Alongside fame for its flavour, the plant is also well known as a hexaploid.

Hexaploids contain six sets of chromosomes inside each cell. Chromosomes contain genes, made of DNA — the foundations of life.

To put this into perspective, human cells contain just two sets of chromosomes, so we can hardly compare to the genetic might of the sweet potato!

Knowing this about the sweet potato's DNA can help us to find its ancestor; a mystery that has puzzled researchers for some time. 

Ipomoea trifida was identified in recent years as the sweet potato's closest 'diploid' ancestor (two sets of chromosomes), and now a 'tetraploid' ancestor (four sets of chromosomes) has been found. 

This new species, Ipomoea aequatoriensis, is a common flowering plant from Ecuador, and may be one of the closest known ancestors of one of the most consumed food plants.

This is a significant scientific discovery, as understanding the sweet potato's closest relatives may in time provide options to breed improved strains of the plant, something that will likely be necessary in the face of climate change or newly emerging plant diseases and pests.