Taxon Report

Pholisma sonorae (Gray) Yatskievych

sand food

Print Report

Classification


Scientific Name:	Pholisma sonorae (Gray) Yatskievych
Common Name:	sand food
Family:	Lennoaceae
Element Code:	PDLNN02020
USDA Plants Symbol:	PHSO
Synonyms/Other Names:	Ammobroma sonorae Gray

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb (parasitic)
Blooming Period: (Mar)Apr-Jun	(Mar)Apr-Jun
Elevation:	0-200 (0-655)
General Habitats:	Desert dunes, Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Imperial (IMP)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Grays Well (3211468), Grays Well NE (3211467), Midway Well (3211561), Acolita (3311512), Amos (3311513), Cactus (3211478), Clyde (3211488), East of Acolita (3311511), Glamis (3211581), Glamis NW (3211582), Glamis SE (3211571), Holtville East (3211573), Holtville NE (3211583), Holtville West (3211574), Kane Spring (3311517), Ogilby (3211477), Tortuga (3311523)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	36 %
Agriculture	2	14%
ORV activity	2	14%
Other	1	7%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	7%
Military operations	1	7%
Non-native plant impacts	1	7%

Notes



Threatened by vehicles, military activities, agriculture, habitat loss, and non-native plants. Parasitic on Eriogonum, Tiquilia, Ambrosia, and Pluchea spp. See Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 5:327 (1854), Desert Plants 2(3):188-196 (1980) for species account, Systematic Botany 11(4):531-548 (1986) for revised treatment, and Madroño 50(2):110-114 (2003) for pollinator information.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 8 January 2025].