Plant last seen in Vermont in 1916 rediscovered by accident

A plant that hasn’t been seen in Vermont since 1916 was just rediscovered by accident, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department says.

Botanist Grace Glynn had been looking for a lost species called false mermaid-weed for about a year.

In early May, turtle technician Molly Parren was surveying the wood turtle habitat in Addison County when she noticed some rare wild garlic and snapped a photo, sending the picture to Glynn, Vermont Biz reported.

Glynn looked at the photo and noticed something in the corner of the shot: a delicate green herb with tiny flowers, the outlet reported. She called Parren immediately.

“You won’t believe what you just accidentally found,” Glynn said when Parren picked up, according to the Vermont Biz.

It was the elusive false mermaid-weed, state officials said in a May 28 Facebook post.

According to Native Plant Trust, false mermaid-weed is very rare in New England, surviving in primarily wet areas like floodplain forests and swamps.

False mermaid-weed’s bloom is quick, as it is one of the first plants to emerge every spring and dies off by mid-June.

“It’s a remarkable rediscovery,” botanist Art Gilman told Vermont Biz. “False mermaid-weed adds a significant element to our biodiversity.”