As the team led by Kenji Suetsugu from the Japanese university in Kobe recently reported in the journal Phytotaxa, the Kobe thismia (Thismia kobensis), a plant species believed to have been extinct, was rediscovered in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture after more than 30 years. The holotype and only known specimen of Kobe thismia was discovered in 1992 and declared extinct in 2010. It was not until 2018 that the species was scientifically described, and it was eventually found again only 30 kilometers from its original discovery site.
Plants of the genus Thismia are organisms that do not meet their energy needs through chlorophyll, as most other plants do, but with the help of fungi. They therefore do not perform photosynthesis, but obtain the nutrients essential for their survival from certain fungi. This means that the plant genus Thismia depends on the continued existence of these fungi. The fungi, in turn, prefer primary forests and react sensitively to changes in the nutrient content of the soil. The complex relationship between plants, fungi, and trees makes propagating Thismia very difficult and, according to the study’s authors, can become fatal for the plants.
Of the roughly 90 described Thismia species, many are considered very rare or already extinct. As a rule, the plants have only ever been sighted at the place where they were discovered. In general, despite their small, colorful flowers, it is difficult to spot Thismia on the forest floor because they need hardly any light and hide beneath leaves.
About the author: Doreen Fräßdorf
Doreen Fräßdorf is the author and publisher of artensterben.de. She researches and writes about extinct and endangered species in the modern era, with a focus on red lists, scientific studies, historical sources, and current conservation efforts. The goal is a clear, evidence-based overview of biodiversity loss and species protection.
She is also the author of a non-fiction book about extinct modern-era mammals.
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