After 142 Years, Isle Of Man’s Wildflower Rediscovered

A wildflower has been rediscovered on the Isle of Man for the first time in more than 140 years.

The skullcaps were found on marshy grassland, known as a garee, on a dairy farm in the south of the island.

It is the first time a native example has been found on the island since 1880, the Manx Wildlife Trust said.

The plant, which has the scientific name Scutellaria galericulata, has tube-like blue flowers of about 0.5 inches (1.5cm).

A perennial member of the mint family, it was discovered by the trust’s agri-environment officer David Bellamy while on a farm visit on 4 July.

Botanical records on the island show the wildflower has only been identified twice, once in 1832 and again in 1880, both in the Scarlett area in the south of the island.