This is one of the few herbaceous plants of the prairie that produces edible fruit, although they are small-sized. Return

This is a native perennial plant up to 1' tall, which may be branched or unbranched. The stems are light green and smooth. The alternate leaves are up to 2' long and ¾' across. They are light green, hairless, and have smooth margins. Their shape may be oval or oblong, and they have short petioles or are sessile. Some of the stems terminate in a rather flattened cluster of a dozen or more small white flowers. Each shallow, tube-shaped flower is about ¼' across, and has 5 sepals that flare outward. The sepals are usually white, but may have light green or rose accents, particularly when the flower is still unopened. In the center, there are several yellow stamens. There is no noticeable scent. The blooming period occurs during the late spring or early summer and lasts about a month. Later, small oily fruits develop that are each about ¼' across, containing a single globular seed. They change in color from green to brown, and are said to have a sweet taste while still immature. The root system is fibrous, and it sends out slender underground suckers that parasitize other plants. Consequently, Bastard Toadflax is semi-parasitic. Deep horizontal rhizomes are also produced, causing the vegetative spread of this plant.

Bastard Toadflax is widely distributed, but is less common in Southern Illinois. Sometimes, large populations of this plant occur locally at high quality sites. Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, hill prairies, rocky open woodlands, lightly wooded ridges, and barrens with small stunted trees. Bastard Toadflax can parasitize a large variety of plant species, including some woody shrubs and trees.

Comandra umbellata (L.) Nutt.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Bastard Toadflax is widely distributed, but is less common in Southern Illinois. Sometimes, large populations of this plant occur locally at high quality sites. Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, hill prairies, rocky open woodlands, lightly wooded ridges, and barrens with small stunted trees. Bastard Toadflax can parasitize a large variety of plant species, including some woody shrubs and trees.

The most important visitors to the flowers are flies, including Soldier flies, Syrphid flies, Flesh flies, Blow flies, Muscid flies, and Anthomyiid flies. Various bees, butterflies, and beetles visit the flowers occasionally. All of these insects usually seek nectar. The small fruit is probably eaten by small mammals (e.g., mice), by which means the seeds are distributed.

Comandra umbellata (Bastard Toadflax)
(Insect visitors suck nectar; observations are from Robertson)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apinae): Apis mellifera; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Synhalonia speciosa; Anthophoridae (Nomadini): Nomada superba superba; Megachilidae (Osmiini): Osmia pumila

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Halictus rubicunda, Lasioglossum albipennis, Lasioglossum tegularis, Lasioglossum versatus; Halictidae (Sphecodini): Sphecodes dichroa; Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena mariae, Andrena miserabilis bipunctata, Andrena sayi

Flies
Stratiomyidae: Odontomyia pubescens, Stratiomys normula; Syrphidae: Eristalis arbustorum fq, Eristalis dimidiatus, Helophilus latifrons, Sphaerophoria contiqua fq, Syritta pipiens, Tropidia mamillata; Tachinidae: Tachinomyia panaetius; Sarcophagidae: Boettcheria cimbicis, Ravinia anxia fq, Sarcophaga sinuata; Calliphoridae: Calliphora vicina fq, Calliphora vomitoria, Cynomya cadaverina fq, Lucilia illustris fq, Lucilia sericata fq, Phormia regina fq; Muscidae: Bithoracochaeta leucoprocta, Graphomya americana, Limnophora narona fq, Myospila meditabunda, Neomyia cornicina; Anthomyiidae: Delia platura fq; Sciomyzidae: Pherbellia parallela

Butterflies
Lycaenidae: Strymon melinus; Papilionidae: Papilio marcellus

Beetles
Cantharidae: Ancistronycha bilineata; Coccinellidae: Coleomegilla maculata

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 6
Specimens with Barcodes: 10
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

The preference is full or partial sun, and average to dry conditions. This plant normally occurs in soil that is either loamy or rocky. It doesn't appear to be affected significantly by foliar disease. There is a preference for an acid pH.