Scientists name newly-discovered plant species after Messi

Scientists have named a newly identified plant species in Peru after Argentine football star Lionel Messi, with the species classified as endangered.
The plant, named Salvia messii, is found in the Andes mountains of central and southern Peru, where climate change and forest fires threaten its survival.
According to The Athletic, the plant’s light blue and white flowers resemble the colours of Argentina’s national team jersey.
The discovery was documented in a study published in the October 2026 edition of the scientific journal Phytotaxa, titled “A remarkable new Salvia (Lamiaceae) from the ecotonal vegetation surrounding the western Andean relict forests of Peru”.
The plant belo...