Thailand’s Black Devil Flower Lives Beneath Fallen Leaves
Thismia daemona
The newly described leafless flowering plant from Thailand.
chlorophyll
The green material that helps many plants use sunlight.
molecular phylogenetic analysis
A way to compare genetic information and study plant relationships.
What happened
Botanists have described a new flowering plant from western Thailand. Its scientific name is Thismia daemona. It grows in Thong Pha Phum National Park. Researchers from Chulalongkorn University and Prince of Songkla University studied it. Their paper appeared in the open-access journal PhytoKeys in 2026.
The specimens came from shaded forest at about 930 to 970 meters above sea level. That is close to 1,000 meters. The plants grew among fallen leaves in lower montane evergreen forest.
Why it looks like a devil
The flower is mostly black. A dome-shaped structure sits on top. Three thin, horn-like appendages rise from that structure. Reddish-orange, fleshy parts surround the outside. Some patches near the base can look like glowing eyes.
The flower’s strange appearance inspired its name. The word daemona refers to something devil-like. Its hidden life also helped shape the name. The plant stays under leaf litter for most of its life.
A plant that does not use sunlight
Thismia daemona has no leaves and no chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green material that helps many plants use sunlight. Without it, this flower cannot photosynthesize. Photosynthesis is the process of making nutrients with light.
Instead, the plant gets nutrients through fungi underground. Fungi include organisms such as mushrooms. This lifestyle makes the plant unusual. It also makes the plant easy to miss. Botanists may see it only when a flower appears above the leaf litter.
The report does not show which fungi provide its nutrients. It also does not explain how often the plant appears above ground. Those details will require more study.
Why the location matters
Many Thismia species are known from lowland rainforests that stay humid all year. This new species grew in a seasonal, mountainous evergreen forest. The site sits nearly 1,000 meters above sea level.
The find also changes the known range of a related group. Thismia section Geomitra had previously been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra. The Thai discovery extends that known range farther north. Thailand now has sixteen recorded Thismia species.
What scientists confirmed
The team examined fresh and preserved specimens under a stereo microscope. They compared the roots, flowers, and internal floral structures with known species. They also analyzed three nuclear markers and two mitochondrial markers.
A molecular phylogenetic analysis placed the plant inside section Geomitra. It also showed a close relationship with a species from Borneo. The plant has a distinctive combination of physical features. Together, the physical and genetic evidence supported its description as a new species.
What remains unknown
Scientists currently know one population. They have recorded fewer than 50 individuals. The population occupies a very small area inside a national park. The park also receives many visitors.
The research therefore gave the species a provisional assessment of Critically Endangered under IUCN criteria. Provisional means the assessment can change with better information. It does not prove that fewer than 50 plants exist across Thailand. Similar forest may contain undiscovered populations in western Thailand or Myanmar.
The next priorities are careful surveys and habitat protection. Researchers also support cooperation with nearby communities. They hope conservation can work alongside sustainable, community-led ecotourism. Protecting this flower means protecting the leaf litter and soil where it spends most of its life.
Sources: the original paper and the ScienceDaily report.
A New Black Flower Hides Under Leaves in Thailand
📰 Full story: Thailand’s Black Devil Flower Lives Beneath Fallen Leaves
Scientists found a strange new flower living mostly out of sight.
Thismia daemona
The name of the new flower found in Thailand.
chlorophyll
The green material that helps plants use sunlight.
provisional assessment
A judgment based on current information that may change later.
💡 The gist
- Thismia daemona is a new flower from Thailand.
- It has no leaves and cannot use sunlight for food.
- Scientists know fewer than 50 plants in one place.
Botanists found Thismia daemona in Thong Pha Phum National Park. The park is in western Thailand. The plants grew in shaded mountain forest. They grew among fallen leaves, about 1,000 meters high.
The flower is mostly black. Three thin parts rise from its top. They look like small horns. Red-orange patches near the base can look like eyes. Scientists chose its name because of this dark, unusual appearance.
Most plants have chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green material in many plants. It helps them use sunlight to make food. This flower has no chlorophyll. It cannot photosynthesize. That means it cannot make nutrients with sunlight.
Instead, it gets nutrients through fungi underground. Fungi include mushrooms. The flower stays hidden under leaves for most of its life. That makes it difficult to find during a forest survey.
Scientists studied the plant’s shape and DNA information. They compared it with known Thismia species. Their results showed that it is different from those species. The plant also lives in an unusual place for this group.
Many Thismia species grow in lowland forests that stay wet. This new species grows in a seasonal mountain forest. Its discovery expands the known range of a related group. Thailand now has sixteen recorded Thismia species.
Scientists have found only one population. They have recorded fewer than 50 individuals. Fewer than 50 means 49 or less. The population lives in a very small area. Tourists also visit the national park.
The researchers gave the species a provisional assessment as Critically Endangered. Provisional means the assessment may change later. More plants might grow in nearby forests. Scientists need more surveys. They also need to protect the leaves and soil around the plants.
Sources: the original paper and the ScienceDaily report.
The Little Black Flower That Hides
📰 Full story: Thailand’s Black Devil Flower Lives Beneath Fallen Leaves
A tiny new flower was found hiding under leaves in Thailand.
Thismia daemona
The special science name of the new flower.
Thismia daemona is a new flower from Thailand.
It has no leaves. It is not green.
Most plants use sunshine to make food. This flower cannot do that.
Instead, it gets food from tiny mushroom relatives underground.
It hides under fallen leaves for most of its life. Only its dark flower shows above the ground.
The flower has three little horns. Orange spots can look like eyes.
Its name matches its dark look. Scientists found fewer than 50 plants in one place.
Fewer than 50 means 49 or less.
That place is inside a national park. Many people visit the park.
People must protect the leaves and soil around the plants.
Scientists will look for more hidden flowers. They do not know if more grow nearby.