New “Fairy Lantern” Flower Species Discovered in Malaysia

Species belonging to the genus Thismia are some of the strangest and most magical-looking in the plant kingdom, which has earned them the nickname ‘fairy lanterns.’

No exception to the rule, a newly discovered Thismia species from eastern Peninsular Malaysia looks like something that belongs in a fantasy world.

Standing just 11 cm tall, Thismia aliasii is an easy-to-miss and Critically Endangered new species described in the open-access journal PhytoKeys.

The genus Thismia consists of plants that are mycoheterotrophic, meaning they do not photosynthesise and instead rely entirely on fungi for their nutrition. The unusual flowers seen on Thismia species facilitate specialised pollination mechanisms involving small insects such as fungus gnats.

Thismia aliasii was first documented by co-author Mohamad Alias Shakri in 2019 during a field expedition in Terengganu’s Chemerong Forest Eco Park, not far from a hiking path.

“The discovery of Thismia aliasii is very interesting as it was found in a mountainous region known for its natural beauty. The discovery was made on the edge of a popular mountaineering trail, but, remarkably, the species was first recognised by Alias,” Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh, co-author of the paper.

“It was not easy to obtain specimens for further study as its habitat is on the mountain and COVID time delayed search efforts. Fortunately, targeted field work to find this plant was successful with the support of NAGAO.”

Thismia aliasii is provisionally classified as Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN Red List criteria, with only five individuals observed across multiple surveys. The primary threats to its survival stem from habitat degradation due to increasing hiking activities in the region.

This discovery adds to Terengganu’s reputation as a hotspot for Thismia diversity, being home to 13 species of the genus, including six endemics. 

Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, and Mohamad Alias Shakri, Terengganu Forestry Department completed the research with funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability under the 12th Malaysian Plan and support from the Nagao Research Grant.

Reference: Siti-Munirah MY, Mohamad Alias S. Thismia aliasii (Thismiaceae), a new species from Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. PhytoKeys. 2025. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.254.136085

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