A new species of flowering plant, never before seen in the world, has been discovered by a group of researchers at Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Science.
The plant has been named in honour of the Thai-born K-pop singer Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban, who is a member of the South Korean girl group, Blackpink.
The plant belongs to the Annonaceae family and was found among samples collected from the southern province of Narathiwat.
The research team, led by Thanawat Chaowasku, has named the plant Friesodielsia lalisaeDamth, Baka & Chaowasku, in honour of Lisa.
One of the members of the research team was inspired by Lisa to pursue her doctorate degree.
The project is aimed at studying the taxonomy and evolution of rare and unknown plants in the Annonaceae family in Thailand for conservation, with support from the Thailand Science Research and Innovation Office and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation.
