A rare miniature plant known as Phitsawong Ta Nok Huk, or Phitsawong Thai Thong, has emerged in the forests of Umphang district, Tak, during the rainy season, attracting interest from nature lovers and tourists.
The plant, known scientifically as Thismia thaithongiana, was found during a survey yesterday, August 17, involving the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Tak office, the Umphang tourism group and Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary.
The survey took place around Doi Hua Mot in Umphang subdistrict, where several of the plants were found growing and beginning to flower.
The plant is easy to miss because it is extremely small and grows close to the forest floor, where it blends into its surroundings. Its most distinctive feature is its unusual shape, which resembles a pair of owl’s eyes and gives the plant its Thai name, Phitsawong Ta Nok Huk, meaning “owl-eyed Phitsawong.”
The species appears during the rainy season and can currently be seen in Umphang until around October. It also has a relationship with fungi in the soil, reflecting the connections between organisms in the forest ecosystem.
TAT Tak said visitors searching for the plant should walk carefully and look closely. Cameras or mobile phones can be used to zoom in for a better view without disturbing it.
Visitors have been asked not to pick or damage the plants and to travel responsibly to help protect the species and the surrounding Umphang forest.
Elsewhere, the rare Heterostemma brownii Hayata, also known as the Forest Sea Star, made a remarkable return in Chiang Rai’s rainforests last year, more than a century after it was last recorded.
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