Greenhouse fans watch plant scientists at work

17:49 24th September 2009

A London attraction is giving garden and greenhouse fans the opportunity to watch its plant scientists perform their duties.

A glazed viewing area has been installed in the Museum of Natural History's newly opened Darwin Centre to allow visitors to view the botanical research being carried out.

Interested parties can pose questions about the experiments to scientists as they work, thanks to a two-way microphone installed at the facility.

The site contains an array of horticulture-focused exhibits, including the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary.

This 17th Century specimen was originally beloved to have been a cross between an animal and a plant, although it was later found to be an oddly-shaped rhizome of a fern.

Visitors can expect to see some of the attraction's three million botanic species on their visit to the Museum, which is located close to Hyde Park.

Meanwhile, the facility recently revealed that a Costa Rican dung beetle has been named after the famous UK botanist Charles Darwin.