[2] Pholisma sonorae is a perennial herb which grows in sand dunes, its fleshy stem extending down to two meters (six feet) below the surface and emerging above as a small rounded or ovate form.

It is a parasitic plant which attaches to the roots of various desert shrubs such as wild buckwheats, ragweeds, plucheas, and Tiquilia plicata and T. palmeri to obtain nutrients.

As a heterotroph, the Pholisma sonorae plant lacks chlorophyll and is grayish, whitish, or brown in color.

[2] The plant blooms in centimeter-wide flowers which are pink to purple in color with white margins.

This was an important food item for certain desert-dwelling Native American peoples, including the Cocopah and the Hia C-eḍ O'odham.