Rise of the Obama Lichen
J. C. Lendemer
Introducing Obama moss or "Caloplaca obamae."
President Barack Obama has received many awards and accolades in his life. But probably nothing like this.
A newly discovered moss was just named after the president, UC Riverside announced. A California lichen expert found the new species on Santa Rosa Island.
What exactly is a lichen? According to dictionary.com it's a fungus that grows with algae.
Researcher Kerry Knudsen collected a sample right before the election and then published a paper on it in March. Knudsen said he named the lichen after Obama, "to show my appreciation for the president's support of science and science education."
“I made the final collections of C. obamae during the suspenseful final weeks of President Obama’s campaign for the United States presidency, and this paper was written during the international jubilation over his election,” Knudsen said. “Indeed, the final draft was completed on the very day of President Obama’s inauguration.”
It's officially called Caloplaca obamae. And it's now in the scientific record books forever.
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