April 18, 2025
Chris talks with Dr. A. Michael Powell and Shirley Powell about their authoritative work in Trans-Pecos botany and Dr. Powell’s role in recognizing and formally describing Ovicula biradiata, or “Wooly Devil,” a previously unknown genus of plant recently discovered in Big Bend National Park.
The find generated a spate of high-profile new headlines, such as this one from the Smithsonian magazine:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-wooly-devil-the-first-new-plant-genus-discovered-in-a-national-park-since-1976-180986117/
Chris and the Powells also talked about Dr. Powell’s many books on the flora of the larger Big Bend region, and their work in the herbarium at Sul Ross State University. This scientific collection of plant specimens is the fourth largest in the state.