It has no leaves, no branches and no green parts, and spends much of its life concealed beneath fallen leaves on the forest floor. Scientists have now described a bizarre new flowering plant from Thailand, naming it Thismia daemona, the “devil flower”, for its dark, horn-like appearance. Details of the discovery were reported by Pensoft Publishers, while the research paper, Thismia daemona (Thismiaceae), a new species from Thailand supported by morphological and molecular evidence, was published in PhytoKeys and is also indexed on DeepDyve. Found in Thong Pha Phum National Park in western Thailand, the plant belongs to Thismia, a genus of tiny, unusual flowering plants sometimes known as “fairy lanterns”. Unlike ordinary green plants, Thismia daemona contains no chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesise. Instead, it obtains nutrients through underground fungi, remaining hidden beneath leaf litter for most of its life.
A flower that doesn’t behave like an ordinary plant
The most remarkable thing about the new species is what it lacks. Because Thismia daemona is achlorophyllous, it contains no chlorophyll and therefore cannot photosynthesise. Instead, it relies on underground fungal partners for nutrients, a lifestyle known as mycoheterotrophy. Its roots are described as coral-like, while the plant’s above-ground portion consists largely of its unusual flower emerging from the leaf litter. The species was found growing beneath the shade of lower montane forest, alongside small bamboo, at an elevation of about 950–970 metres. That habitat is significant. Species of Thismia are more commonly associated with humid, lowland rainforest environments. The discovery of T. daemona in a seasonal, mountainous forest at nearly 1,000 metres therefore came as a surprise to the researchers.
Why does it look so strange?
The flower’s appearance explains its dramatic scientific name. It is predominantly blackish, with reddish-orange, fleshy structures around the outside. At the top is a dome-like structure known as a mitre, crowned by three slender appendages. The combination gives the flower an almost fantastical appearance, more like something from a dark forest tale than a conventional flowering plant. The researchers examined fresh and preserved specimens under a microscope and also conducted molecular analyses using nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers to establish that the plant represents a distinct species. Their findings place it within Thismia section Geomitra, where it is closely related to Thismia betung-kerihunensis.
The discovery expands the range of a rare plant group
The find is important beyond the identification of one new species. Before Thismia daemona was described, section Geomitra was known from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Its presence in Thailand extends the known northern range of the entire group. The new species also brings the number of Thismia species recorded in Thailand to 16, according to the research report.
Fewer than 50 plants are known
The discovery comes with a warning, however. Researchers currently know of just one population, comprising fewer than 50 individuals and occupying an area smaller than a football field. Because of its extremely restricted known distribution and the vulnerability of its habitat, the scientists have assessed Thismia daemona as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List criteria. Although the plants occur inside a national park, protection on paper does not necessarily eliminate the risks facing such a specialised species. Its tiny population and dependence on particular forest and fungal conditions make it especially vulnerable to changes in its microhabitat. The researchers say conservation will therefore need to involve the surrounding communities as well as formal protection.For now, the discovery of Thismia daemona offers a glimpse into one of the forest’s least visible worlds, a plant that abandoned leaves and sunlight, lives largely out of sight and depends on fungi underground, yet produces one of the most striking flowers botanists have encountered in Thailand.
