The Born This Way hitmaker –real name Stefani Germanotta - has been honoured by scientists at Duke University in the US after they called a newly discovered genus of fern, which has 19 different variations, after her due to the plant and the pop star's similar sense of "individuality".

Kathleen Pryer, a biology professor at the educational establishment, said: "We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression.

"And as we started to consider it, the ferns themselves gave us more reasons why it was a good choice."

For example, The New York Times reports, the university said in a news release, the fern, which is found in Arizona, Texas, Mexico and Central and South America, “has somewhat fluid definitions of gender,” reproducing by spores that can grow into plants that may be male, female or bisexual.

The new varieties of fern have been named Gaga germanotta, which honours the singer's family name, and Gaga monstraparva – which translates to mean "monster-little", in honour of her fans who are known as Little Monsters - among other titles.

Pryer admitted the fern - which was discovered in Arizona, Texas and Mexico as well as Central and South America – was also named after the Paparazzi singer because her songs are "enormously empowering".

She added: "We think that… Born this Way, is enormously empowering, especially for disenfranchised people and communities like LGBT, ethnic groups, women — and scientists who study odd ferns!”

The announcement of Mother Monster Gaga's newest namesake comes little more than a month after researchers abroad named a new species of insect after her.

Billboard reported Aleiodes Gaga, a new type of parasitoid wasp, was found in Thailand not long ago, and bears the singer's moniker as well.