Researchers Name Newly-Discovered Plant After Messi

Legendary Argentina captain Lionel Messi has had a newly-discovered plant species named in his honor.

An academic study has been published on a distinctive new plant species endemic to the Andes mountain range of central and southern Peru, which has been named after the 39-year-old former Argentina international.

According to The Atheist, the species, which has been classified as endangered, has been named Salvia messii after the iconic football player. The plant’s light blue and white flowers are similar in colour to Argentina’s national shirt.

International rules of botanical nomenclature in Latin were applied to the naming process, meaning the letter ‘i’ was added to the end of the honoree’s surname to indicate ownership. Salvia messii literally means ‘Messi’s plant’.

The Salvia messii plant belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) — with its subspecies known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic effects.

It can grow to approximately 1.5 meters tall. The plant is said to possess extreme adaptability that allows it to survive on rocky and arid slopes in a mountain range and is found between 2,000-2,400 metres above sea level.

The classification of ‘endangered’ stems from the impacts of climate change and forest fires.

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The research into the discovery, and decision over the species name, was led by Paul Gonzales, of the Natural History Museum of the National University of San Marco, the Argentinian researcher Rolando Uria, and the biologist Jean Capcha-Ramos, from Huarango Nature.

Earlier this year, veteran Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha — another star of this summer’s World Cup finals — had a new species of marine mollusk named after him by Spanish researcher Jesus Ortea.

That was not the first time that Ortea, a professor of Animal Biology and Zoology at the University of Oviedo, has named newly discovered species after a footballer. In 2019, his discovery of a species of tiny marine sea snail led him to name them after Keylor Navas, the former goalkeeper of Real Madrid and Costa Rica.

Messi, who plays his club football for Inter Miami, is widely recognised as one of football’s greatest ever players, and starred at this summer’s World Cup as his Argentina side reached the final.

He played his final match for the national team earlier this month, having reached three World Cup finals — including winning the tournament in 2022 — and won two Copa America tournaments.