New plant species named for UConn botanist
STORRS, Conn.—A University of Connecticut botanist's name has become part of the official species description of a plant he discovered in South Africa.
After years of review, researchers recently confirmed Matt Opel's discovery in 2000 was the first known identification of the tiny plant. It's now officially known as Tylecodon opelii (TIE'-le-COE'-don OH'-pell-eye).
Opel was a UConn graduate student when he spotted the plant in 2000 on a quartz gravel hillside in South Africa. It's so small and well-camouflaged that it's barely visible in the rugged landscape.
Researchers confirmed it was a new species by comparing its leaf structure, color, tubers and other features against others in the genus. It continues to grow in the region where Opel first spotted it and is now also cultivated by botanists. A sample grows in a UConn greenhouse.
