A mysterious “devil flower” found in Thailand survives in darkness and appears only briefly
Deep in a Thai forest, researchers came across a plant that spends most of its existence out of sight. When its unusual flower finally appears, it looks unlike the familiar flowers growing around it.
The newly identified species was named Thismia daemona. It was found in Thong Pha Phum National Park in western Thailand, an area covered by dense tropical forest.
What makes the discovery particularly strange is that the plant has abandoned one of the basic strategies used by most plants. It does not depend on sunlight to make its food.
There is no green foliage to reveal its presence. Instead, the plant remains concealed beneath the vegetation for much of its life. Only when it produces a flower does it become visible to people exploring the forest.
The species belongs to the unusual genus Thismia, whose members are sometimes called fairy lanterns. These plants have evolved to live without photosynthesis.
Rather than producing energy from sunlight, Thismia daemona obtains nutrients through an underground partnership with fungi. The fungi connect the plant to resources within the surrounding ecosystem.
Its flower has a dark, highly unusual structure with prominent projections that give it an almost otherworldly appearance. That distinctive look is also reflected in the species name, daemona.
Finding such a plant is difficult because there may be little evidence that it exists until the flower emerges. This makes discoveries within the genus particularly valuable to botanists.
The Thai species is another example of how dramatically plants can adapt to their environment. While most flowers depend on sunlight, this one has found a completely different route to survival.
Information source: Pensoft
Previously, scientists reportedly sounded the alarm, declaring that thousands of unique flowering plants could disappear forever, taking with them millions of years of evolution. The researchers argue that this loss will affect much more than just biodiversity.
