Pholisma
Encyclopedia
The genus Pholisma consists of three to five species of desert-dwelling, primarily subterranean plants.
Most notable of the genus is Pholisma sonorae
, native to the Southwestern United States
and Mexico
. The species is without chlorophyll
and lives as a parasite on the roots of a number of desert species. Pholisma belongs to the family Boraginaceae
. Other species include Pholisma arenarium
, the "desert Christmas tree".
Most notable of the genus is Pholisma sonorae
Sandfood
Pholisma sonorae, commonly known as Sandfood, is a rare and unusual species of flowering plant endemic to the Sonoran Deserts to the west of Yuma, Arizona in the California Yuha and Colorado Desert, and south in the Yuma Desert, where it is known from only a few locations.-Description:Pholisma...
, native to the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The species is without chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
and lives as a parasite on the roots of a number of desert species. Pholisma belongs to the family Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
. Other species include Pholisma arenarium
Pholisma arenarium
Pholisma arenarium is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by several common names, including desert Christmas tree, scaly-stemmed sand plant, and purple sand food. It is native to northwestern Mexico, Arizona and southern California, where it grows in many habitat types,...
, the "desert Christmas tree".