Scientists Discover Devil Flower Species in Thailand

Key facts

• Scientists have described a new flowering plant from Thailand, naming it Thismia daemona, the 'devil flower', for its dark, horn-like appearance.
• 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.
• The species is placed within Thismia section Geomitra, where it is closely related to Thismia betung-kerihunensis.
• 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.
• Researchers know of just one population of Thismia daemona, comprising fewer than 50 individuals and occupying an area smaller than a football field, and have assessed it as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List criteria.
• The species was found growing beneath the shade of lower montane forest, alongside small bamboo, at an elevation of about 950–970 metres.