Ernesto and Agustina in Mexico, and I described a new
butterwort species, Pinguicula brendae (Lentibulariaceae),
from the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. It was officially published on the 8 of February 2026 in the Nordic Journal of Botany.

About 100 butterwort species are found on all continents
except Australia and Antarctica, and two of them are
distributed in the UK. More than 60 species occur in
Mexico, and most of them are endemic to there.

Interestingly, many species are confined to small geographical areas, such as a gorge or a mountain range. All butterworts are carnivorous plants. The upper surface of the leaf secretes tiny droplets of mucilage to capture small prey.

The new species Pinguicula brendae is known only from a single location on a mountain in Hidalgo, Mexico. It is a small perennial species that grows on a wet limestone cliff.

The plant has burgundy-coloured summer and winter leaves, and very hairy flower stalks. The flower is bright violet and is up to 1.5 cm in diameter.

There are some related species in Mexico, but no other species possesses all these characteristics. The species name ‘brendae’ was derived from Ernesto’s wife, Brenda, who discovered the species.