Thismia daemona

Thismia daemona Latest News

Scientists recently discovered a new species of leafless flowering plant named Thismia daemona that grows on the forest floor of a national park in western Thailand.

About Thismia daemona

• It is a new species of leafless flowering plant.
• It was discovered from Thong Pha Phum National Park in western Thailand.
• It belongs to Thismia, a genus of tiny species also known as “fairy lanterns.”  
  • The distinctive quality of these plants is that they lack chlorophyll and do not carry out photosynthesis. 
  • Instead, they produce their food from fungi beneath the earth’s surface and also remain concealed beneath layers of leaf litter for nearly their entire lives. 
• Thismia daemona plant was found growing at an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters, an unusually high and seasonally dry setting for this genus. 
• Its unusual, almost supernatural appearance inspired its name: Thismia daemona, the “devil flower.” 
  • Its flower is mostly black and topped with horn-like appendages that rise from a dome-shaped “miter.” 
  • Bright reddish-orange patches near the base resemble glowing eyes, adding to its demon-like appearance. 
• It is known from fewer than 50 individuals and has therefore been provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered.

News: WION

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