South African pays R600,000 to name new plant species in honour of his mom
The naming of a new species is usually the closely guarded domain of taxonomists‚ yet in an unusual move taxonomist Dr Peter Goldblatt allowed the WWF to auction the naming of the newly discovered flower to raise funds for conservation work.
The hammer fell at £30‚000 (about R600‚000) to a South African bidder who‚ among other things‚ produces wine amidst the fynbos where the new species was discovered.
The delighted winning bidder said that the species name was to be a gift for his mother‚ who will be immortalised in the scientific journals that name the world’s biodiversity.
Click here to read the complete article at www.timeslive.co.za.
