Scientists Name Endangered Peruvian Plant After Lionel Messi

Scientists have named a newly discovered plant species in Peru after Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, drawing attention to a rare plant threatened by climate change and forest fires.

The plant, known as Salvia messii, grows in the Andes mountains of central and southern Peru. Researchers have classified it as endangered because of threats to its natural habitat.

According to The Athletic, the plant produces light blue and white flowers resembling the colours of Argentina’s national football team jersey.

Researchers documented the discovery in a study published in the October 2026 edition of the scientific journal Phytotaxa. The paper is titled “A remarkable new Salvia (Lamiaceae) from the ecotonal vegetation surrounding the western Andean relict forests of Peru”.

The plant belongs to the mint family and can reach about 1.5 metres in height. It grows on rocky, dry mountain slopes at elevations between 2,000 and 2,400 metres above sea level.

The research team included Paúl Gonzáles of the Natural History Museum at the National University of San Marcos in Peru. Argentinian researcher Rolando Uría and biologist Jean Capcha Ramos of Huarango Nature also contributed to the study.

The scientists adopted the name Salvia messii in honour of Messi, whose achievements have made him one of football’s most celebrated figures.

The name follows established botanical naming conventions. Scientists commonly use the suffix “i” when naming a species after an individual.

The discovery also highlights the conservation challenges facing plant species in Peru’s Andean region, where climate change and wildfires threaten fragile mountain habitats.