‘Devil Flower,’ a New Plant Species With a Bizarre Secret
A bizarre flower that looks more like something from a fantasy story than a typical plant has been identified as a new species in Thailand. Named Thismia daemona, the plant has earned the unofficial name “devil flower” because of its unusual blackish appearance, horn-like structures, and reddish-orange markings. But its appearance is not the only […]
A new plant species named Thismia daemona, often dubbed the "devil flower," has been found in western Thailand, adding to the world's biodiversity. This unusual plant, also known as a "fairy lantern," belongs to the genus Thismia, which typically lacks chlorophyll and cannot produce its own food. Instead, it relies on a mycoheterotropic lifestyle, forming relationships with fungi in the soil for nutrients.
Thismia daemona stands out with its blackish flowers, horn-like structures, and reddish-orange markings, earning its unofficial name. What makes the plant even more remarkable is its secretive lifestyle, spending most of its existence hidden beneath the forest floor. The plant was discovered in Thong Pha Phum National Park by botanists from Chulalongkorn University and Prince of Songkla University.
Their findings, published in the journal PhytoKeys, confirm its uniqueness as a new species within the section Geomitra, related to a Bornean species. The devil flower is critically endangered, with fewer than 50 individuals known to exist in a habitat that is only slightly larger than a football field. The researchers emphasize the importance of conservation efforts to protect this rare and unusual species, highlighting the hidden biodiversity that remains undiscovered, often just beneath our feet.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
