CHIANG RAI – Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden has announced the rediscovery of a rare flower plant thought to be lost for 113 years, spotted again in the forests of Chiang Rai. The garden invites everyone to suggest a Thai name for this unique species.
On Thursday, news surfaced on the garden’s official Facebook page. The post shared that a plant missing from global records since 1906 has been found once more in Thailand.
The flower plant, Heterostemma brownie Hayata, reappeared among lush green moss in the rainforests of Chiang Rai. This marks the first time in over a century it has been seen in the country and shared on Thai social media by Dr. Michele Rodda.
Previously, this plant was only recorded in Taiwan, China, and Vietnam back in 1906. It then vanished from scientific records for over a century. In 2019, a team from the Botanical Garden Organisation found it again in Chiang Rai’s forests, and the discovery was officially published in 2020.
Flowers Star-Like Appearance
This striking plant has several key features. It is a soft-stemmed vine that produces white sap. The leaves grow opposite each other and are shaped from oval to oblong. The flowers are bright yellow with five-pointed petals, giving them a star-like appearance. Red speckles dot the petal surface, and the flower’s centre has a deep red, five-pointed corona, looking much like a sea star resting quietly on the ocean floor.
Heterostemma brownie belongs to the Apocynaceae family. Its conservation status has not yet been set. In the wild, it is only found in Chiang Rai’s forests at about 500 metres above sea level. It blooms during the rainy season, from June to July. Apart from Thailand, only a handful have been found in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Laos.
Heterostemma Brownie Hayata Flower
Information is credited to Dr. Woranat Thammarong, a plant taxonomist at the Botanical Garden Organisation, and photos by Dr. Michele Rodda. Their research was published in the Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) in 2020.
The garden is also asking the public to help name the plant in Thai. Many people have suggested creative and meaningful names, such as “Dao Phirun Siam” (Star of Siam’s Rain), reflecting the star-shaped flower and its bloom during the rainy season.
Others include “Siam Dara Kan” (Golden Star of Siam), “Dok Som Si Thong” (Golden Orange Flower), “Dao Thammarong” (honouring the scientist), “Dao Chiang Rai”, and “Proud Darika” (sparkling star). More ideas range from “Wieng Busadakorn” (a combination of city, flower, and star), “Benjadara Rai”, “Darathong”, “Dao Mafueang”, to “Dao Bussarakam”.
These suggestions capture both the plant’s beauty and the pride of finding such a rare species growing in Thailand once again.
