TITLE: Recognizing Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt on their discovery of a new plant species at Big Bend National Park.

SUMMARY: Recognizing Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt on their discovery of a new plant species at Big Bend National Park.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Two staff members at Big Bend National Park, Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt, have captivated the botanical world with their discovery of a new plant species, the "wooly devil"; and WHEREAS, Ms. Manley, a volunteer in the park's botany program, and Ms. Hoyt, a supervisory interpretive park ranger, first encountered the plant while on a hike in the park's backcountry in March 2024; nestled among the desert rocks, the plant featured fuzzy foliage and narrow, maroon-colored petals that were unlike any species they had seen before; the discovery elicited tremendous interest among botanists, and park staff were eventually joined by representatives from California Academy of Sciences, Sul Ross State University, and Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaci n para el Desarrollo Integral Regional in studying and classifying the species; and WHEREAS, Researchers dubbed the plant the "wooly devil" in reference to its hairy leaves and hornlike florets, and it was designated with the official name Ovicula biradiata in a new genus within the daisy family; diminutive in size, the wooly devil ranges from half an inch to three inches across, and it has been identified in just three small sections in Big Bend's portion of the Chihuahuan Desert; as an annual plant that blooms after desert rains, it has likely struggled to survive in the midst of prolonged droughts in its habitat, making its discovery all the more remarkable to the scientific community; and WHEREAS, Uncovering not only a new species but an entirely new plant genus is a rare and exciting scientific breakthrough, and Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt may indeed take pride in the role they played in bringing this tiny marvel to light and furthering the study of the fascinating biodiversity found within Big Bend National Park; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th Legislature, hereby commemorate the discovery of a new plant species at Big Bend National Park and commend Deb Manley and Cathy Hoyt for their vital contribution to this undertaking. Gutierrez Blanco Flores Kolkhorst Cook Hinojosa of Hidalgo Men ndez Eckhardt Johnson Zaffirini Patrick, President of the Senate President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 15, 2025.