A rare plant discovered in a “ghost pond” in Britain a...

A rare plant has reappeared after more than a century of hiding.

A pink flowering plant, known as a polycarbonate, was found after it grew on the banks of an ancient agricultural pond, in Norfolk County, Britain.

These mysterious species “returned from the dead”, after moving the seeds soaked in the mud, while working to repair the pond.

Scientists say conservation efforts could lead to the return of other rare and long-forgotten plants.

And Carl Sayre, a professor at London College, found the plant when he went to mop the pond in Haydon, shortly after the first general lockdown in Britain had ended.

Having never seen anything like this before, he quickly snapped a photo which he sent to local botanist Dr. Joe Parmenter.

Parmenter identified it as a grass-poly, one of Britain’s rarest plants.

Professor Sayer says, “It is really beautiful. We found only a few of these plants in the pond, but we hope to cultivate, continue and expand this group, and we now know they exist.”

Dr. Joe Parmenter was overjoyed to see the photo of the Prophet, saying: “I never expected to see him in Norfolk, he is so cool. I saw the picture and immediately thought,” I know you perfectly. “

The last confirmed record of the herb urea, its scientific name (Lythrum hyssopifolia), in Norfolk is more than a century ago.

Elsewhere in Britain, the plant is found in a few isolated areas, where it grows around lakes and in open muddy ground.

In suburban Haydon, the seeds of the plant were left buried in the mud, like a “historic treasure box.” When willow trees were extracted to expand the pond, it moved the soil and allowed light in, allowing the seeds to germinate.

“There is no oxygen,” says Professor Sayre, a member of the pond revitalization research group at University College London. “It’s very dark, it’s perfect for preserving seeds.”

He added that the discovery proves that plants, which are believed to be extinct, can be “brought back to life” if well preserved.

Centuries ago, there were thousands of ponds in Norfolk County, eastern England, but many of them have been neglected and become known as “ghost ponds”.

There may be other groups of plants in Norfolk that have been overlooked so far, says Helen Graves, a researcher at University College London.

“Could the ponds revive more plants? Either way, finding this elegant little plant might provide an important and unexpected new focus for the Norfolk Ponds project,” Greaves asks.

Dr. Parmenter says that this year has been a “wonderful” year for plants, with many unusual discoveries made.

This is partly due to the epidemic, with more people taking out local walks.

“I think it (the discovery) taught us to appreciate our local things, as well as the glamorous and weird things,” she says.