Fairy Lanterns in the Rainforest

I know - this blog has nothing to do with HousePlants but it is still Wacky so it counts!

My dad told me about an unusual plant he heard about on a Radio 4 (there is a Radio 4?) show called Gardener's QuestionTime on the 5th Sept 2021 and asked me to research it a bit more.

The reason for this is that it is a curiosity for many reasons - it is a new discovery, it is exceedingly rare (and already possibly going extinct - read on), and it was found deep in the Malaysian rainforest, a country where my dad came from and so I have a connection with it. I have had many happy holidays there visiting my grandparents and have stayed in the rainforest too in a wonderful place called Adeline's camp which I cannot recommend enough (http://www.adelinevilla.com/AdelineVilla/About-Us/).

Abseiling down a waterfall at Adeline's

But I digress. In the GQT programme, a Dr Chris Thorogood took the listeners to the rainforest floor where this rare Malaysian plant can be found, the Fairy Lantern.

I discovered the fantastic account here:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-06-29-botanists-name-astonishing-new-species-fairy-lantern-malaysian-rainforests

But to summarise, it was found by rainforest conservationist Dome Nikong in 2019 off a track in Gunung Sarut, a mountain located in the Hulu Nerus Forest Reserve in the state of Terengganu. There is a lovely video on the link above with him showing us how he found them along this track. Scientists subsequently named this Thismia sitimeriamiae after Dome’s mother Siti Meriam.

This tiny weird and astonishing flowering plant is truly unique as you can see above! This new species shares its features with other rare members of this elite fairy lantern genus Thismia. They all lack true leaves and chlorophyll, obtaining their food from root-associated fungi. Their mysterious flowers emerge just briefly, and often under leaf litter, so few people are lucky enough to encounter them. It has a unique and peculiar orange colour with lantern-like flower with pillars holding up a so-called ‘mitre’, like the Queen's ceremonial one. Perhaps it holding it up like an umbrella to protect itself from the torrential rain, although its function is still a mystery.

As for the extinct bit, a return to the same track in 2020 was heartbreaking for Mr.Nikong as the plants were lost to destruction by wild boar! So next time you go for a trek in the rainforest, see if you can find these curiosities - it will be a delight to Dome if you do!

Till next time, Adios amigos,

Miles 👦🏻💜🌵