Botanists from Chulalongkorn University and Prince of Songkla University have identified Thismia daemona, a new leafless flowering plant species discovered in Thong Pha Phum National Park in western Thailand at nearly 1,000 meters elevation. The plant, nicknamed the "devil flower" for its black flower with horn-like appendages and reddish-orange patches resembling glowing eyes, represents the first documented occurrence of the Thismia section Geomitra in Thailand, extending the genus's known range northward. Scientists know of fewer than 50 individuals in the wild and have provisionally classified the species as Critically Endangered, calling for community-led conservation efforts within the national park's tourism framework.
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