All the way from Peru... a small wonder

HE braved hazardous terrain, dangled from ropes and waded waist-deep in water.

But Peter Moonlight’s epic odyssey paid off after discovering a new species of Begonia in a remote Peruvian cave.

And having managed to grow the flower in his native Scotland, it could soon be added to the nation’s flora.

The tropical biodiversity scientist from Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden has spent the last two-and-a-half years searching for and recording the flower, pictured, which is the smallest identified species of Begonia on the planet.

Mr Moonlight first learnt of the plant’s existence several years ago while looking through a collection of dried flowers in Lima, the capital of Peru.

He travelled back last year to try to collect it in the wild. He said: ‘Everyone has heard of Begonias and many people tend to associate them with hanging baskets and bedding schemes for public parks. The truth is much more exciting.’

To get to the plants in a limestone cave in central Peru, the 28-year-old and his team had to negotiate a route known in Spanish as Malo Paso, which roughly translates as ‘bad path’. They found 5,000 of them – and, as there are no other similar habitats in the region, they believe it is likely to be the only place where they grow.

Despite requiring 12 hours of sunlight a day, Mr Moonlight has successfully managed to grow the rare Begonia, described as like ‘cress with tiny white flowers’, in a specially controlled growth room in Edinburgh from seeds collected on his travels.