New Lichen Named for Obama

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 16, 2009 6:00 PM CDT
New Lichen Named for Obama
This isn't President Obama's official lichen, but it bears a resemblance.   (Flickr)

The latest honor for the president: A University of California scientist has named a new species of lichen after him, the Los Angeles Times reports. It's a compliment. The scientist did much of his research on Caloplaca obamae during the campaign and says the strain shares a characteristic with the president: they're both resilient. He also wanted to acknowledge Obama's emphasis on science. “I think there’s a dung beetle named after Bush,” he said. “That’s definitely an insult.” (More President Obama stories.)

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