New plant species to be named after late Idaho governor

BOISE – A newly discovered plant species will be named after the late Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus after a group of his friends successfully helped raise $10,000 for researchers’ work, they said.

Scientists from Boise State University and the College of Idaho discovered the new plant species in the Boise Foothills, KBSX-FM reported .

They offered to let someone name the yellow, flowering plant for a $10,000 donation.

Andrus was the longest-serving Idaho governor with four terms. He died in August due to complications from lung cancer. He was 85 years old.

Andrus’ friends wanted to see the plant bear his name since he would often walk his dogs in the area where the plant was discovered, they said.

They were able to reach their goal after a last-minute donation last Friday.

The plant will be named in Lomatium Andrusianum in honor of Andrus.

“It was kind of great to see a lot of these people pull together and make a contribution and be able to honor Gov. Andrus in this way,” said Jim Smith, one of the Boise State University researchers behind the project.

The donation will be used to further research the plant and others like it in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon, Smith said.