Scientists spend years hacking through remote forests to find species no one has ever seen, yet one of the rarest plants on Earth was discovered in a Malaysian recreation park full of families and tour groups. The new “fairy lantern” species wasn’t uncovered on some extreme expedition. It revealed itself right by a walking path, hiding under leaves while weekend visitors took selfies a few feet away.

As Newsweek reported, the plant, now officially named Thismia selangorensis, was first spotted in Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Chongkak, a forest park outside Kuala Lumpur that’s known more for weekend crowds than scientific discoveries. Lead researcher Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia said the find proves that “significant scientific finds are not limited to remote

See Full Page