Botanists have documented the existence of a new species of thismia in Thailand—achlorophyllous plants that lead a parasitic lifestyle by feeding on fungal mycelium. This species is distinguished by its flowers, which are black, and its outer petals are colored orange. Additionally, it possesses three horn-like shoots.
The new species has been assigned the scientific name Thismia daemona, which relates to its 'devilish' appearance. Currently, researchers have only managed to find one population of T. daemona, located in the mountain forests of Thongphaphum National Park. This population occupies a very small area—less than 0.05 square kilometers.
Due to the extremely limited range of these 'demonic' thismias and the increased risk of damage from tourists, the discoverers strongly advise granting this species an endangered status. The details of the study conducted were published in the scientific journal PhytoKeys.