Walking through the boundless landscape of red rocks and limestone cliffs in Texas' Big Bend National Park last March, a volunteer and a park ranger came across a plant they didn't recognize. It was tiny – only a few centimeters long – with striking red petals and green leaves covered in what appeared to be thick white wool.

A volunteer spotted the tiny, fuzzy plant with maroon florets while exploring the remote northern corner of Big Bend National Park in Texas

The Wooly Devil, or Ovicula biradiata​, was first spotted by botany volunteer Deb Manley and a park ranger in Big Bend National Park in Texas in March 2024.