Thismia rodwayi

Thismia rodwayi is a small reddish-yellowish flower – the lantern – seemingly without stem and leaves. The plant most often emerges from the forest floor or lies hidden under the litter. As it does not contain any chlorophyll, the mature plant consists of a flower stalk and roots, both devoid of chlorophyll. As a mycoheterotroph, Thismia Rodwayi is associated with a fungus, which is the true saprophyte. It is a very small flower, only visible as an orange and red obovate floral tube of 10 to 18 mm in length. This flower is surmounted by six perianth lobes: three inner lobes curving inward, and three outer ones spreading outward. Biological life cycle Thismia rodwayi's life cycle is still very poorly understood. • Zoophily: Mammals such as the potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) are known to feed on roots and subterranean fungus in similar habitats and could serve as pollinators. Another possible vector could be the superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae). regarded as a saprophyte, Thismia rodwayi is actually a mycoheterotroph, a non-chlorophyllous plant associated with a truly saprophytic fungus. The fungal hyphae are found in the cortical cells of the plant's roots, and also around those roots. Nutrients in rotting organic material are absorbed by the fungus and stocked as fat globules in the hyphal bladders of the fungus. The hyphal cells are then induced to discharge the fat globules into the cells of the plant, where they are turned into a polysaccharide, possibly glycogen. ==Rarity and protection==

Because of the anecdotal occurrence data concerning this plant, Thismia rodwayi is not listed by the IUCN. It is, however, listed on Schedule 5 (Rare) of the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 under criterion B (species subject to stochastic risk of endangerment because of naturally small population sizes). One of the main difficulties in obtaining new data is the covert nature of the plant: although brightly coloured, it is often covered by litterfall, and non-specific botanical surveys have a high probability of missing it. Improved surveys, however, have been increasingly successful in detecting Thismia rodwayi, and the amount of data is growing. Although most potential habitat zones are protected by being located in national parks, riparian reserves or other protected areas, Thismia rodwayi may not be negatively impacted by normal native forest silvicultural operations such as clearfelling, selective cutting, or even regeneration burning. On the other hand, a conversion to monospecific plantations may be deleterious to plant populations. == References ==