Seeds that lay hidden in a notebook for more than 200 years have germinated successfully, according to scientists at the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, West Sussex.
The seeds were found in the National Archive, stuffed between the pages of a book that was seized by the Royal Navy in 1804 during the Napoleonic Wars.
The seeds from 32 plant species were passed on to the Millennium Seed Bank where three different types have produced healthy plants.
One of the seeds is from an unidentified member of the acacia family - and could be from an extinct variety.
Matthew Daws, at the Millennium Seed Bank, said: “The seed was so old and had been stored in some dubious conditions, including a ship and Tower of London. Even the toughest cereal seeds should have died after so long.”
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