The Hand-of-the-Desert plant (Chirofolius mycophilus)

This tuberous plant lives in deserts and produces only two big three-pronged leaves that grow quickly throughout the wetter months and wither in the following dry season. The leaves appear like green hands grasping from underneath the earth, earning it its common name.

A unique fungus lives in a symbiotic relationship with the Hand-of-the-Desert. It wraps its mycelium around the tuber to access precious water, while in turn it helps the plant absorb enough nutrients from the soil to survive the harsh desert.

The fungus produces fruiting bodies underground that mimic the shape, color and smell of certain burrowing beetles. This attracts fossorial insectivores that almost immediately get into shock, then a coma and eventually die upon trying to gnaw on the highly poisonous fungus, and the decomposing body serves as a valuable nutrient source for both the fungus and the plant.

Some of the fungus’ toxins is absorbed by the plant and stored in its leaves, making them umpalatable for smaller herbivores that can experience confusion and even temporary blindness upon eating them. Only very big animals like Octopodes can consume the leaves with little more than a feeling of numbness in the mouth.

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This is the first organism out of five that I created for a very cool ongoing project created by Tyler Rhodes! It’s based around teaching evolution to kids in a very creative way, and I was one of the artists tasked with bringing some children doodles to life. Stay tuned for the others throughout this week!

My Patreons got to see these creatures before anyone else! If you enjoy my work and would like to see sketches, step-by-step process, exclusive content and even earn a print or commission, consider supporting me on Patreon!