A plant that produces edible roots, Ruik is a hardy, desert growing plant that is capable of thriving with limited water and in soil of little fertility. The shrub grows to slightly less than a meter in height with small, teardrop shaped leaves that grow in clusters on the thin, gnarled branches. The real value of Ruik lies underground, in the small, fibrous and bittersweet tasting roots that can be a lifesaving resource for travelers in harsh desert environments. An average Ruik plant can yield approximately half a kilogramme of edible roots, which have a moderately high water content apart from being high in starches and several micronutrients. While subsisting solely on Ruik roots for more than a few days will result in stomach cramps and diarrhoea, which would endanger a desert traveller, Ruik roots work well as a supplement to other foodstuffs such as dried meat, flatbread or beans.