Bastard Toad Flax
Comandra richardsiana
Family: Santalaceae
What it is like
Comandra richardsiana is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Calcareous, gravelly, sandy or marly soils.
Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Quebec and south to Kansas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Fruit - raw. Sweet and oily, it is delicious but only a few are produced. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. It is quite possibly no more than a form of C. umbellata. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil. A parasitic plant obtaining at least some of its nutrients from the roots of other plants, we do not know the host species.
Propagating it: Seed - stratify for 3 months at 5°c and then sow in the greenhouse in a pot with a suitable host. Plant out when it is well established close to a mature host plant.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist