Botanists discovered a new plant species, Thismia daemona, in Thailand’s Thong Pha Phum National Park. It earned the nickname «devil flower» due to its striking appearance: a nearly black flower with horn-like appendages and reddish-orange patches resembling glowing eyes. What’s truly unusual is that it lacks chlorophyll and does not perform photosynthesis. Instead, it obtains nutrients through a symbiotic relationship with underground fungi (a phenomenon called mycoheterotrophy). The plant spends most of its life hidden beneath leaf litter. Scientists found only one population, with fewer than 50 individuals, and have provisionally assessed it as critically endangered.
About the Author
