Red Thumb, maltese mushroom; Cynomoriaceae; Arabic: tartooth, beesayl

Description:

Perennial, one cylindrical stem ending in a club-shaped head; reddish to black; long underground root; head densely covered with minute, dark red flowers with protruding stamens Photo taken at Al Wathba Reserve, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Habitat:

Saline sand along with salt bushes(most often Zygophyllum), on which it lives as a parasite

Notes:

Traditionally use: underground part of stem boiled and eaten; also collected to produce dye