A strange, parasitic plant that looks like a scowling owl has won a global photography competition for the best snapshot of a plant or fungus. Nestled in dark soil, the “owl” glows an eerie emerald, according to World Nature Photography Awards.
Photographer Chatri Lercintanakorn captured the mesmerizing image at a secluded wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, where the flowering bodies of the miniature plants pop out of the ground at the base of the trees.
the plant Thismia thongianais a myco-heterotrophic species, meaning it is not they photosynthesize but gets its energy and nutrients from the fungus — specifically the fungus associated with the roots of trees. In 2018, scientists discovered it in Doi Hua Mot mountains in Thailand.
Little is known about this plant, but its peculiarly shaped body has given rise to its name ‘Phisawong Ta Nok Hook’, which translates to ‘mysterious owl’s eye’. according to Nation Thailand.
T. thongiana it spends most of its life underground until it bursts open, revealing its strange fruiting body.
Lertsintanakorn learned about the rare species while meeting photographer Suchat Chanhomhuan, one of its discoverers.
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With Chanhomhuan’s help, Lertsintanakorn located the plant in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Reserve in Thailand’s Tak Province. “I noticed it mostly grows near the base of trees, which makes it easy to overlook,” Lertsintanakorn told Live Science in an email.
Its location is prime real estate for the little parasite. Basically, some types of fungi live around and inside the roots of huge trees. They produce an underground network in search of minerals, which they transmit to trees. In return, the trees give them food sugars—in an alliance known as a symbiotic relationship.
T. thongiana it breaks this connection by stealing the nutrients produced by the fungus.
T. thongiana it is only visible when its fruiting body grows out of the ground, and even then it is incredibly tiny. “I was surprised by its tiny size, measuring just 2 to 8 millimeters [0.08 to 0.3 inch] in length,” he said. Lertsintanakorn’s image was awarded gold in the Plants and Fungi category at the World Nature Photography Awards. Founded in 2020, the competition is now in its fifth year with over 3,000 images this year.
“Our winners always take our breath away with their stunning images. As always, it’s a great pleasure to see the incredible caliber of entrants to the awards,” said Adrian Dinsdale, co-founder of the World Nature Photography Awards in statement.
Other notable images from the competition include a haunting collection of olive baboons (Papio anubis) heads and skulls at the Abomey voodoo market in Benin, orca (Orcinus orca) splitting a ball of herring underwater and a group of crabs grabbing the lava rock-encrusted shoreline under a wave of water.
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