A plant with no green parts
Ammobroma sonorae, also called sandfood, is a holoparasite, a plant that derives all of its energy from another living plant. It lives in the active sand dunes of the Sonoran Desert, a habitat with extreme temperatures and little water. Lacking chlorophyll, the plant cannot perform photosynthesis and is typically a grayish or brown color. Instead, it attaches to the roots of various desert shrubs to survive. Common host plants include species of wild buckwheat (Eriogonum), ragweed (Ambrosia), arrowweed (Pluchea), and Tiquilia. The plant's fleshy, succulent stem grows almost entirely underground, sometimes reaching lengths of up to two meters, or about six feet.
This subterranean stem connects to the host's roots through specialized structures called haustoria, which penetrate the host's tissues to absorb carbohydrates and amino acids. The sandfood plant has only small, scale-like leaves on its stem. For a brief period between April and June, a portion of the plant emerges from the sand. This visible part is a mushroom-shaped head covered in small, centimeter-wide flowers that range from pink to purple with white edges. Once the blooming period ends, the visible portion of the plant withers, leaving the long stem hidden beneath the sand until the next spring.
The desert's hidden food source
For indigenous peoples like the Cocopah and Hia C-eḍ O'odham, this plant was an important food source in an arid environment. Its common name, sandfood, and its scientific name, Ammobroma, which translates to "sand food," point to its use as sustenance. The fleshy stems were harvested and could be eaten raw or roasted over a campfire. They could also be prepared like carne seca—cut into strips, dried and later rehydrated for meals.
Finding the plant requires specific knowledge of the desert environment. Harvesters would look for a subtle crack or a slight mound in the sand, showing the presence of the flowering head just below the surface. The plant grows from near sea level to elevations of about 200 meters (655 feet). Today, Ammobroma sonorae is considered rare, with a conservation status of G2, indicating it is imperiled globally. Its population is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture, development, military activities, and damage from off-road vehicles.