In recent years, some researchers have made a greater effort to explore less well-studied areas for fairy lanterns, he says. Scientists also are using new techniques to study these plants. For instance, they are analyzing the plant’s DNA.
This has led to the identification of multiple new species. One is the violet T. paradisiaca in Colombia. Another is the pale T. belumensis in Malaysia. Siti-Munirah and her colleagues first described T. belumensis in 2021.
Some recently spotted species of fairy lanterns haven’t been seen in decades. The trident-like T. neptunis of Borneo is one of them. It was recently found again after more than 150 years without any known sightings.
Suetsugu and his colleagues identified one Thismia species from a decades-old museum specimen. Because its only habitat was destroyed, the scientists thought it was extinct. But it was
