On the scorching sand dunes of the Southwestern United States, where few living organisms can survive, a unique plant defies all expectations. At first glance, you might easily overlook it or mistake it for a strange object, like a small rock or a piece of dry earth, but in reality, this is a remarkable plant known as Pholisma sonorae – more commonly referred to as Sandfood. This parasitic plant is on the brink of extinction and has an extraordinary survival story amidst the harsh desert landscape.
This sand-blooming flower is also known as “sand food”, a name that reflects its appearance resembling dishes made from sand, adorned with tiny, delicate, and unusual purple flowers.
The scientific name of this peculiar sand flower is Pholisma sonorae, a rare and extraordinary flower that belongs to the group of flowering plants endemic to the deserts of North America.
This flower is known as Pholisma sonorae.
Pholisma sonorae is one of the few plants that lacks chlorophyll, setting it apart from most other plants. Instead of the characteristic green of vegetation, this plant exhibits shades of gray or pale brown, sometimes mistaken for desert fungi. Its external appearance is even stranger: it may appear as a small round mass or an egg-shaped protrusion from the sand, but if enough sand is blown away, it can reveal itself resembling a mushroom standing out amid the dunes.
The sand flower Pholisma sonorae is also regarded as a perennial herb, emerging from the sand dunes with extremely long roots that extend 2 meters deep into the ground to absorb water and nutrients. The flowering part above ground has a flattened spherical shape and can resemble a mushroom as shown in the image if the desert winds are strong enough to blow away the sand surrounding Pholisma sonorae’s stem.
During the early spring, the rounded tip of this rare sand flower Pholisma sonorae will sprout tiny flowers, approximately 1 to 2 cm in diameter, with striking purple and white hues. These flowers grow in a circular arrangement at the top of the stem, resembling a small hat, and are enveloped by soft, grayish-white structures. The flowers of Pholisma sonorae not only serve as an aesthetic highlight among the sand dunes but also as a survival strategy, attracting pollinating insects in the arid desert conditions.
The sand flower Pholisma sonorae is also considered a perennial herb.
As a haemiparasitic plant, the sand flower Pholisma sonorae lacks chlorophyll for photosynthesis, thus to survive, it extends its robust roots to attach to the roots of various desert plants to absorb nutrients. Despite this, it is considered a friendly flower as it does not completely deplete the nutrients from its host plants. There have been instances where Pholisma sonorae flowers are larger and heavier than their host plants, yet the hosts remain healthy and unharmed.
Pholisma sonorae is a haemiparasitic plant.
Notably, young Pholisma sonorae plants have the ability to locate suitable host roots for parasitism, even when those roots are buried deep in the sand, by sprouting new exploratory roots. When they find an appropriate host root, these exploratory roots develop suckers, establishing a connection to absorb nutrients such as starch and amino acids synthesized by the host plant during photosynthesis.
This plant maintains its species through wind-dispersed seeds.
This plant maintains its species by dispersing seeds through the wind, as continuous winds blowing across the sand dunes carry seeds mixed in with the sand, aiding their travel across various locations, sinking into the ground or attaching themselves to the bodies of certain burrowing rodents that dig deep nests beneath shrubs.
Pholisma sonorae is classified as a rare plant due to significant habitat reduction.
As an endemic plant, Pholisma sonorae can currently only be found in a few locations such as the Algodones Dunes in southeastern California, near Arizona, USA, and Sonora, Mexico. Pholisma sonorae is classified as a rare plant due to significant habitat reduction caused by the expansion of agricultural activities and off-road vehicle use. These actions not only lead to direct destruction of Pholisma sonorae plants but also damage the host shrubs that this species relies on for survival.
When natural dune areas are exploited and destroyed, the sand flower Pholisma sonorae loses its essential host plants needed for survival. This leads to a rapid decline in their population, making it one of the most vulnerable plant species in the Southwestern United States desert.
The sand flower Pholisma sonorae is not only a miraculous creature of nature but also holds a deep cultural significance for Native American tribes such as the Cocopah and Hia C-eḍ O’odham. Historically, these communities often used the stem of the Pholisma sonorae plant as a food source, which could be eaten raw or cooked. However, its nutritional value remains an area that modern science has yet to fully explore.
This flower also holds deep cultural significance for Native American tribes.
Efforts to conserve Pholisma sonorae face numerous significant challenges. One of the main difficulties is cultivating this plant in a laboratory environment. Despite various attempts to create suitable living conditions for Pholisma sonorae, success has eluded researchers so far. This underscores the importance of conserving and protecting the natural habitat of this plant more than ever.
Without proper protective measures, Pholisma sonorae could quickly disappear from the desert ecosystem, leaving a significant gap in the ecological and cultural chain of the region. Its existence is not only a part of the desert’s biodiversity but also a testament to the power of nature and the adaptability of life.
