'Lost species' rediscovered in Isle of Man

17:16 6th November 2009

A species thought to be lost to cultivation may have been rediscovered in an Isle of Man garden, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed.

Scientists have struggled to source a herbarium specimen to ascertain whether the plant belonging to Edward Huyton is the Gladiolus x brenchleyensis.

However, picture and sketch comparisons seem to show the plant is the same, at least in appearance.

Garden historian and botanist Michael Tooley was giving a speech on the Isle of Man and used the variety as an example of how popular plants can disappear from circulation.

It was at this point that Mr Huyton recognised the flowering specimen a friend had given him 20 years ago.

"I knew it was a very old variety, but if I hadn't seen it in the photos I still wouldn't know its name," he explained.

"It's not as big and showy as the modern gladioli so it's probably been passed over by many people."

Meanwhile, the RHS recently revealed it is selling a new book called Bulb by The Tulip author Anna Pavord.