Scientists Have Named A Species Of Tree After Leonardo DiCaprio
Members of the Pussy Posse were probably so confused by this news. “A tree? Sure I guess, but Leonardo DiCaprio is much more familiar with a bush.” If only those scientists knew the man they were naming tree species after, they might have stayed a little more on brand. But for now, they decided to honor the part-time eco-activist with his own kind of tree. Leo gets his own tree before aspiring tree Scarlett Johansson? A bold move.
Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens in the UK recently found what they believe is a new species of tree in the Cameroon forest, which is apparently well-known for its rich biodiversity. The scientists wanted to honor Leo’s pledge to save the rainforest. They also believe that Leo’s tree-saving work was “crucial” in helping to stop logging in the Ebo Forest. And so, Leo gets a tree named after him. I wish I could say they have called it Tree-o DiCaprio, but sadly they went just a bit more scientific with it. via The New York Post:
In 2020, DiCaprio, 47, campaigned to protect the forest, home to the Banen people and a diverse population of plants and animals. He posted appeals on social media, linking to a petition for his followers to sign. DiCaprio’s efforts aided international experts, who wrote a letter to the Cameroonian government detailing the endangered species of both animals and plants that reside in the forest.
Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens discovered a tree – and named it Uvariopsis dicaprio.
I’m sure Leo was proud to hear this news while lounging on a gas-guzzling mega yacht.
The tree has been nicknamed “Dicaprio” for short, and this is what it looks like. According to the scientists, it’s a member of the ylang-ylang plant family, and is a small tropical evergreen with yellow flowers on its trunk. It has already been classified on the critically endangered plant list.
This tropical tree from the Ebo Forest in Cameroon belongs to the ylang-ylang family.
Scientists chose to name the tree ‘Uvariopsis dicaprio’ in honour of @LeoDiCaprio after he played an important part protecting the Ebo Forest (1/2) pic.twitter.com/w2zpxLiKSq
— Kew Gardens (@kewgardens) January 7, 2022
Now that it has been given a name by the Royal Botanic Gardens, those researchers should study that tree to see how it behaves in the coming seasons. Does a smaller, younger, skinnier tree spontaneous sprout up beside Leo’s tree? And then when you check on Tree-o DiCaprio three to four years later, has a new younger tree replaced the first younger side-tree? Yup, that’s Leo’s tree!
Pic: Wenn.com