Scientists unveil a new 'devil flower' species in Thailand's highland forest

A team of Thai botanists has described a previously unknown leafless flowering plant, Thismia daemona, from the forest floor of Thong Pha Phum National Park at nearly 1,000 meters elevation. The plant, dubbed the "devil flower" for its black, horn-capped bloom and glowing orange patches, lives underground and obtains nutrients through a symbiotic relationship with fungi. Its discovery expands the known distribution of the Thismia section Geomitra, previously limited to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra, marking the genus's northernmost occurrence.

Only one population, comprising fewer than 50 individuals within an area smaller than a football pitch, has been documented, prompting a provisional Critically Endangered status. Scientists warn that tourist traffic in the park could threaten the species and propose a conservation strategy aligned with UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere framework, involving local communities. The findings were published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys, bringing Thailand's total Thismia species count to sixteen.