New plant species resembling owl discovered in Tak
A new plant species resembling an owl has been discovered by the Botanical Society of Thailand. The society posted on Facebook about the discovery on Wednesday (December 11). The new plant has been named “Phisawong Ta Nok Hook (mysterious owl’s eyes)” or “Thismia thaithongiana”.
The society said that it was from the herbaceous plant family which blooms at the end of the rainy season. It was discovered in the Doi Hua Mot mountaintop in Tak Province by Dr Kanokorn Srimuang from Phayao University and Suchat Chanhomhuan from Tukasu Cottage Resort.
The society also coordinated with Assoc Prof Sahut Chantanaorrapint, a lecturer at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, and Dr Somran Suddee, specialist of the Office of the Forest Herbarium under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for verification and taking samples of this plant.
The information on this plant was published in the Phytotaxa journal 333 (2): 287-292, 2018. The name “thaithongiana” was named in honour of Assoc Prof Obchant Thaithong, lecturer at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University.
