Similar to aliens: scientists discovered a new species of plants (photo)

Scientists from Kobe University in Japan announced the sensational discovery of a new kind of bioluminescent mushroom plants, which are known as "fairy lanterns". This is the first discovery of a new species of these unusual plants in Japan in almost 100 years.

"Fairy lanterns" are white plants that do not photosynthesize, instead receiving energy from fungi. Their bioluminescent glow can only be seen at night, making them look like little lanterns flickering on the forest floor. They are difficult to find because they spend most of their lives under fallen leaves, exposing only their flowers for a short time, writes IFLScience.

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The new breed of "fairy lanterns" was called "Mujina-no-shokudai", which means "badger candlestick" in Japanese. It differs from other genera of "fairy lanterns" with unique characteristics, such as the shape of the flower and the way it attaches to the fungal mycelium. The Latin name of the new genus is Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, which can be translated as "relic Thismia Kimotsuki", where Kimotsuki is the prefecture in Japan where the discovery was made.

A study describing the new discovery was published in the Journal of Plant Research. The authors of the study are Suetsugu Kenji, a world-renowned expert on non-photosynthetic plants, and other botanists at Kobe University.

Earlier we wrote that scientists solved the secret of the origin of baobabs.

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