Pholisma

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. 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".