Comandra umbellata
(L.) Nutt.
Bastard toadflax
(c) Patrick Alexander, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
(c) Ian Bryson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Nectar
The fruit can be eaten raw and has a sweet flavour. Children also suck the flowers for their sweet nectar.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Canada, Europe, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A small erect herb. It grows 10-40 cm tall. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are alternate, sword shaped and thick. Theya re 2-5 cm long by 5-10 mm wide. The fruit is urn shaped and fleshy.
How to Grow
Propagation: Seed — stratify for 3 months at 5°C, then sow in the greenhouse in a pot with a suitable host plant. Plant out when well established, close to a mature host plant.
Medicinal Uses
An infusion of the leaves has been used to treat lung pains and laboured breathing caused by a cold or other illness. The juice of the plant has been applied externally to treat cuts and sores.
Other Uses
None known
Wikipedia
Source ↗A low-growing perennial reaching 0.3 m tall with flowers from April to June. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Prefers mildly acid to very acid soils and requires full sun. Tolerates both dry and moist conditions. Hermaphroditic.
Other Information
The nectar is sucked especially by children.
Names & Synonyms
Comandra
References (5)
- Fisk, J. R. & Hoover, E., 2015, Wild Fruits of Minnesota. A Filed Guide. University of Minnesota p 12
- Gen. N. Amer. pl. 1:157. 181
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 255
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/ (Also as Comandra richardsiana)
- Turner, N., 1997, Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 169
