11 November 2012 Last updated at 04:17 ET By Chris Ellis BBC News Online, South West

The DNA of endangered trees found only in the Caucasus Mountains will be analysed by a botanist in Devon and a London university in a bid to find out more information about their evolution.

The birch tree seeds have been brought back to Devon by Paul Bartlett, from Stone Lane Gardens, in Chagford.

Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London, plan to test three species of birch found only in the mountain range, which extends across several countries including Georgia, southern Russia and Azerbaijan.

Mr Bartlett said he believed the research had never been done before and was new to science.

He said: "The trees have been grown in the UK in the past, using seed sent by Caucasian botanists, but the seed I have collected is possibly the first seed brought back by anyone from the UK."

Mr Bartlett will germinate the seeds and raise the seedlings in Devon.

Tissue samples will then be sent to the university for analysis, which includes counting the number of chromosomes, which house the genetic code DNA.

Mr Bartlett said: "I can then use that information to decide which birch they are likely to be related to.

"Eventually they can produce a kind of fingerprint of that species, which enables them [scientists] to check against other plant DNA to determine whether they are the same species or not."

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DNA tests for rare birch trees