20th century botanist John Heslop-Harrison 'faked rare plant discoveries'
A botanist who claimed to have found dozens of rare plants faked his discoveries, according to new evidence.
Professor John Heslop-Harrison won acclaim after finding plant species on islands off the west coast of Scotland 60 years ago but there have long been doubts over the authenticity of his work.
Karl Sabbagh, author of a book about the botanist, has gained access to previous unseen archives which reveal that Heslop-Harrison's own colleagues harboured serious concerns about his claims.
Records held by the Natural History Museum suggest that the botanist gathered seeds during his travels and then planted them in the Hebrides.
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
Professor John Heslop-Harrison won acclaim after finding plant species on islands off the west coast of Scotland 60 years ago but there have long been doubts over the authenticity of his work.
Karl Sabbagh, author of a book about the botanist, has gained access to previous unseen archives which reveal that Heslop-Harrison's own colleagues harboured serious concerns about his claims.
Records held by the Natural History Museum suggest that the botanist gathered seeds during his travels and then planted them in the Hebrides.