The genus ''Pholisma'' (Nutt. ex Hook.) 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 Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The species is without chlorophyll and lives as a

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

on the roots of a number of desert species. ''Pholisma'' belongs to the family

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the or ...

. Other species include '' Pholisma arenarium'', the "desert Christmas tree".

References

External links

The Botanical Society of AmericaJepson Manual Treatment
Parasitic plants Boraginaceae genera {{Asterid-stub