Classification: Monocots, Dioscoreales
Genera: Thismia, Afrothismia, Haplothismia, Tiputinia, Oxygyna, Saionia
Diversity: Thismiaceae comprise five genera and ca. 63 species. All species have a fully mycoheterotrophic mode of life. The largest genus is Thismia, with ca. 45 species. A remarkable common feature of most Thismiaceae is their extreme scarcity. The majority of species are known exclusively from the type collection, which in some cases was made more than a century ago.
Distribution and habitat: Thismiaceae are widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world, but some species are known from subtropical and even temperate areas. The genus Oxygyne and several species of Thismia have disjunct distribution patterns. Most species occur in the leaf litter of dense tropical rainforest and can only be spotted during the flowering and fruiting period when aboveground organs appear.
Photos
Thismia rodwayi (Thismiaceae) – Mount Wellington, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia hillii (Thismiaceae) – Mount Pirongia, New Zealand. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia hillii (Thismiaceae) – Mount Pirongia, New Zealand. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia clavarioides (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia clavarioides (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia clavarioides (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia clavarioides (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia clavarioides (Thismiaceae) – Morton National Park, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Blue Mountains, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Blue Mountains, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Blue Mountains, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia sp. (Thismiaceae) – Blue Mountains, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia rodwayi (Thismiaceae) – Tasmania, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia rodwayi (Thismiaceae) – Tasmania, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia rodwayi (Thismiaceae) – Tasmania, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Thismia rodwayi (Thismiaceae) – Tasmania, Australia. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia foertheriana (Thismiaceae) – Diongo, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia foertheriana (Thismiaceae) – Diongo, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia hydra (Thismiaceae) – Korup National Park, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia hydra (Thismiaceae) – Korup National Park, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia winkleri (Thismiaceae) – Mount Kupe, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia winkleri (Thismiaceae) – Mount Kupe, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia winkleri (Thismiaceae) – Mount Kupe, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia hydra (Thismiaceae) – Korup National Park, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia aff. gesnerioides (Thismiaceae) – Mount Kupe, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia aff. gesnerioides (Thismiaceae) – Mount Kupe, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
Afrothismia foertheriana (Thismiaceae) – Diongo, Cameroon. Photo by Vincent Merckx
mycoheterotrophy 