Middlemist red

Middlemist red or Middlemist's red, also known as Middlemist camellia, is a cultivar of the shrub Camellia japonica. Middlemist red is considered to be the rarest flower. The flower originated in China, where it later became extinct. Middlemist red was collected in 1804 by John Middlemist of west London, UK, who gave it to Kew Gardens, from which it later vanished. As of 2010, there were thought to be two in the world: one at the Duke of Devonshire’s conservatory, Chiswick, west London, UK, and the other in Waitangi, New Zealand. It is possible that other Middlemist red plants are in existence but remain unrecorded. John Middlemist is believed to have intended to sell the flower to the public.