Devil's Cornfield, so named due to the vague resemblence to corn shocks standing in a field, is on the southeastern edge of the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells. I didn't get to disect one of these unusual formations, but from a cursory analysis it appears a small plant grows, captures sand around its base, secures that sand with its roots and other plant parts, collects more sand, has to grow taller to reach above the encroaching sand, secures that sand with roots and so on and so forth. Just a guess... They grow in other parts of the valley, but conditions here appear to be optimal. |