Nicolletia occidentalis is a flowering plant in the marigold tribe of the daisy family which is known by the common name Mojave hole-in-the-sand plant. This flower is native to California, especially the Mojave Desert, and northern Baja California. Nicolletia occidentalis is a desert-adapted perennial herb with a skeletonlike appearance. The narrow, fleshy leaves each end in a bristle and have large oil glands which exude a strong unpleasant scent. The plant grows from a deep taproot in the desert sand and the stem is sometimes surrounded by a depression in the sand, a trait that gives it its common name. This plant bears showy flowers with curving bright pink ray florets and yellow centers.