Comandra is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the sandalwood family Comandraceae, order Santalales, containing the single species Comandra umbellata, commonly known as bastard toadflax, umbellate bastard toadflax, or common comandra.
The genus is a perennial herb growing from rhizomes, typically found in drier or semi-sandy soils, reaching about 8 to 34 centimetres tall. Its leaves are up to 3.3 cm long and alternately arranged. The small, petal-less flowers have five greenish-white sepals, are borne in flat or roundish clusters, contain both male and female structures, and are insect-pollinated. The fruit is a drupe 4–6 mm thick.
Comandra umbellata is hemiparasitic — it draws water and nutrients from the roots of other plants while still photosynthesizing itself, rather than being fully dependent (holoparasitic). It has an unusually broad host range, parasitizing over 200 known plant species, including members of Acer, Antennaria, Aster, Betula, Carex, Solidago, Fragaria, Populus, Quercus, Rosa, Rubus, and Vaccinium, as well as various grasses.
The genus shows a disjunct distribution, with its four recognized subspecies occurring across North America and around the Mediterranean. Note that the common name "bastard toadflax" is also applied in Europe to the unrelated genus Thesium, which can cause confusion between the two.
Ethnobotanically, the Navajo people prepared a decoction from parts of the plant for narcotic and other medicinal uses, and Native Americans ate the small, sweet-tasting berries as a food source in times of shortage. However, the fruit can accumulate toxic levels of selenium when the plant grows in selenium-rich soils.
Distribution
Comandra shows a disjunct distribution: its single species, with four recognized subspecies, occurs across North America and around the Mediterranean.
Ecology
Comandra umbellata is hemiparasitic, photosynthesizing on its own while also drawing resources from a very broad range of over 200 host plant species, including trees, shrubs, and grasses such as Acer, Betula, Quercus, Populus, Vaccinium, and Rosa. It typically grows in drier or semi-sandy soils, and its fruit can accumulate toxic selenium when grown in selenium-rich ground.
Cultural Uses
The Navajo people made a decoction from the plant for narcotic and other medicinal purposes, and Native Americans ate its small, sweet berries as a food source during times of scarcity.
Taxonomy Notes
Comandra is a monotypic genus (single species, Comandra umbellata) placed in family Comandraceae, order Santalales, per GBIF's accepted backbone taxonomy. The common name "bastard toadflax" is shared with the unrelated European genus Thesium, which is a naming overlap rather than a taxonomic relationship.
