CAPE TOWN A newly discovered flower has been named after South Africa's infamous vuvuzela to honour the country's hosting of the first World Cup in Africa.

The plant's colourful, flared yellow flowers and their “massed, synchronous appearance” had appropriate associations with the raucous air horn's name, the South African National Biodiversity Institute said on its website.

A retired staff member suggested the name “and the rest, as they say, is history”, said CEO Tanya Abrahamse, the Sunday Times reported.

The tuneless, deafening plastic trumpet blown by fans has become a top newsmaker and accessory at South Africa's World Cup, making global inroads as it is snapped up abroad. Experts say it can permanently damage hearing.

The bulb “Moraea vuvuzela”, a species of the iris family, was discovered near Cape Town and is threatened by agriculture and development.—AFP