Leonardo DiCaprio.Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage
First an Oscar, now a tree.
A new tree has been named in honor ofLeonardo DiCaprio, a group of rainforest scientists in the United Kingdom announced, according to the scientific journalPeerJ.
Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew recently discovered a new type of tree, which only grows in the Cameroon forest — and decided to name it after the actor in recognition of hisenvironmental advocacy.
“This threatened and spectacular tree is named for the American actor and conservationistLeonardo DiCaprio, who, through several months in 2020,lobbied extensivelyonsocial mediato draw attention to threats for the numerous rare Ebo species from the logging concession that had been announced at Ebo earlier that year,” scientists wrote in the journal. “The concession was cancelled in August 2020, surely partly due to his efforts.”
The Uvariopsis dicaprio tree.Lorna MacKinnon
“We think he was crucial in helping to stop the logging of the Ebo Forest,” Kew scientist Dr Martin Cheek told theBBC.
Officially called theUvariopsis dicaprio,the critically endangered tree features glossy, yellow-green flowers and will be considered a member of the ylang ylang family, scientists say.
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“There are still thousands of plant species and maybe millions of fungal species out there that we don’t know about,” Cheek told the outlet, before emphasizing the importance of making sure those species are protected.
source: people.com
