As if the White House wasn’t enough, US President Barack Obama now has a lichen of his own. Kerry Knudsen, the lichen curator at the University of California, Riverside Herbarium, has named a newly discovered species Caloplaca obamae.

In his paper in Opuscula Philolichenum, Knudsen writes:

The species is named in honor of Barack Obama, President of the United States. The final collections of this species were made during the suspenseful final weeks of Obama’s campaign for president and this paper was written during the international jubilation over his election. The final draft was completed on the day of his inauguration. He is honored for his support of science and scientific education.

C. obamae was discovered in 2007 on Santa Rosa Island in California. Knudsen says it was nearly wiped out by cattle ranching on the island, but is now recovering (press release).

Image: J. C. Lendemer / UCR