This small unusual plant normally remains hidden in he leaf litter but was exposed here by heavy rains washing down a steep bank. Thismia lack chlorophyll and depend on a mycorrhizal fungus for carbon and nutrient supply but in a parasitic way where the mycorrhizal fungi do not benefit in return.
Figure 3.Fruit structure in Thismia hongkongensis sp. nov. A Flower (rear right), immature fruit, shortly after fertilization (left), and mature fruit with exposed seeds (front). B Two fruiting individuals, each with three fruits. C Lateral view of fruiting specimen, illustrating elongated fruit stalk. D Mature fruit with exposed seeds. E Dehydrated fruit. F Rehydrated fruit, after rainfall. Photos by S.S. Mar.