Comandra | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Santalales |
Family: | Santalaceae |
Genus: | Comandra Nutt. |
Species: | C. umbellata |
Binomial name | |
Comandra umbellata (L.) Nutt. | |
Synonyms | |
Comandra is a monotypic genus [3] containing the single species Comandra umbellata. Its common names include bastard toadflax, umbellate bastard toadflax, and common comandra. [4] The plant has a disjunct distribution; [3] its four subspecies occur in North America and the Mediterranean. [5]
Comandra is a perennial herb growing from rhizomes, often in drier or semi-sandy soils, [6] to about 8 to 34 centimetres (3+1⁄4 to 13+1⁄2 in) tall. The leaves are up to 3.3 cm long and are alternately arranged. Growing in flat or roundish clusters, the flowers lack petals, but have five greenish-white sepals. [6] The flowers contain both male and female structures, and are insect-pollinated. The fruit is a drupe 4–6 mm thick. [7] [8]
Subspecies include: [9]
Comandra umbellata is hemiparasitic; it is not holoparasitic as it obtains some nutrition through photosynthesis. [10] It has a wide host range, parasitizing over 200 known plant species. [7] These include: Acer , Antennaria , Aster , Betula , Carex , Solidago , Fragaria , Populus , Quercus , Rosa , Rubus , Vaccinium and some grasses. [10] [8]
In Europe the common English name bastard toadflax is used for plants of the genus Thesium .
Comandra umbellata is the alternate host for the comandra blister rust ( Cronartium comandrae ), a rust fungus that affects pine species in North America. Comandra blister rust can cause tree losses of up to 7% in some regions where it is common. [11]
When C. umbellata is infected by the rust aeciospores from the pine host, yellow, blister-like spots bearing urediniospores appear on the leaves of the plant within 20 days. In the following weeks, teliospores develop on brown, hairlike telia that germinate to produce basidiospores, the fungal life stage capable of infecting pines. [12]
A decoction of the plant parts was made by the Navajo people for narcotic and other medicinal usage. In times of food shortage, the berries were used by Native Americans as a food source, [13] and though small, they have a sweet taste. [14] The fruit may contain toxic selenium if grown in soil rich in the element. [6]
Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales.
Gooseberry is a common name for many species of Ribes, as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in the genus Ribes are edible and may be green, orange, red, purple, yellow, white, or black.
The blackcurrant, also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, where it prefers damp fertile soils. It is widely cultivated both commercially and domestically.
Ribes is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible fruit or as ornamental plants. Ribes is the only genus in the family Grossulariaceae.
Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, western shadbush, or western juneberry, is a shrub with an edible berry-like fruit, native to North America.
Camassia quamash, commonly known as camas, small camas, common camas, common camash or quamash, is a perennial herb. It is native to western North America in large areas of southern Canada and the northwestern United States.
Fragaria virginiana, known as Virginia strawberry, wild strawberry, common strawberry, or mountain strawberry, is a North American strawberry that grows across much of the United States and southern Canada. It is one of the two species of wild strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern domesticated garden strawberry.
Maianthemum racemosum, the treacleberry, feathery false lily of the valley, false Solomon's seal, Solomon's plume or false spikenard, is a species of flowering plant native to North America. It is a common, widespread plant with numerous common names and synonyms, known from every US state except Hawaii, and from every Canadian province and territory, as well as from Mexico.
Cronartium ribicola is a species of rust fungus in the family Cronartiaceae that causes the disease white pine blister rust. Other names include: Rouille vésiculeuse du pin blanc pin (French), white pine Blasenrost (German), moho ampolla del pino blanco (Spanish).
Sambucus nigra is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental shrub or small tree. Both the flowers and the berries have a long tradition of culinary use, primarily for cordial and wine.
Phoenicaulis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae found in western North America. It contains the single species Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides, which is known by the common names daggerpod and wallflower phoenicaulis. The genus name means 'reddish-purple stems', probably in reference to the tendency for the stems to take on such a color, and the species name means 'hand of flowers'.
Castilleja applegatei is a species of Castilleja known by the common names Applegate's Indian paintbrush and wavyleaf Indian paintbrush.
Festuca idahoensis is a species of grass known by the common names Idaho fescue and blue bunchgrass. It is native to western North America, where it is widespread and common. It can be found in many ecosystems, from shady forests to open plains grasslands.
Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ribes native to North America.
Antennaria rosea is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name rosy pussytoes. Other common names include cat's foot and mountain everlasting. The second part of its scientific name, rosea, is Latin for pink. It is widespread across much of Canada including all three Arctic territories, as well as Greenland, the western and north-central United States, and the Mexican state of Baja California.
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus is a species of shrub in the family Asteraceae of the Americas known by the common names yellow rabbitbrush and green rabbitbrush.
Crepis modocensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Modoc hawksbeard.
Ribes oxyacanthoides is a species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family known by the common name Canadian gooseberry. Its various subspecies have common names of their own. It is native to North America, where it occurs in Alaska through much of Canada and the western and north-central United States.
Ribes aciculare is a species of flowering plant in the currant/gooseberry family Grossulariacea, generally regarded as closely related to Ribes burejense. It is native to central and northern Asia, and has been reported as native to Altay, Kazakhstan, Krasnoyarsk, Mongolia, Tuva, West Siberia, Xinjiang. Its habitats vary from stony hill and mountain slopes to forest margins and thickets. In Northern China it has been found at altitudes of 1,500-2,100 metres. The plant is very cold hardy, and can tolerate temperatures down to -20°C during dormancy.