Sand Food
(Pholisma sonorae )
Lennoaceae

Photo Copyright R. Mitchel Beauchamp and CNPS

Description: Perennial herb. Root parasite lacking chlorophyll. Stems fleshy and mostly buried in the sand (1 3/4 -5 feet long, 1/4-3/4 inches diameter) Leaves scale-like, 2/8-1 inch long. Inflorescence is a concave head, 1 1/8-4 inches across, and densely covered with flowers, 1/4-3/4 inches wide. Petals pink to purple with white margins, and hairless on the exterior. Calyx lobes linear and appearing feathery. Fruit is a capsule containing 12-20 nutlets in a ring.

Distribution:

Habitat: Dunes, sandy areas

Flowering Period: Blooms April-June

Similar Plants:

Status: K