Comandra

Comandra - Bastard Toadflax
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Santalaceae
Genus: Comandra
Nutt.
Species: C. umbellata
Binomial name
Comandra umbellata
(L.) Nutt.
Synonyms
  • Comandra richardsiana Fern.
  • Thesium umbellatum L.

The genus Comandra contains a single species, C. umbellata, with 4 sub-species distributed in North America and the Mediterranean.[1] C. umbellata is considered to be semi-parasitic.

Contents

Description

Comandra is a small herb that lives as a parasite on plant roots and has tiny white flowers.[2]

Parasitism

Comandra is not an obligate parasite since it obtains nutrition through photosynthesis, however it does have a wide host range, including, but not limited to many herbs including Aster, Antennaria, Solidago, several shrub species Rosa, Rubus, Fragaria, Vaccinium, and several tree species Acer, Betula, Populus, as well as Carex, and various grasses.[3]

Pathogens

Comandra umbellata is the alternate host for the rust fungus Cronartium comandrae Peck., or comandra blister rust, that affects pine species in North America. Comandra blister rust can cause losses to volume of up to 7% in some regions where it is common.[4]

When Comandra umbellata is infected by Cronartium comandrae basidiospores, yellow blister-like spots bearing urediniospores appear on the leaves of the plant within 20 days. In the following weeks teliospores develop as brown hairlike structures that germinate to produce basidiospores, the Cronartium comandrae life-stage capable of infecting pines.[5]

References

  1. ^ Mabberley, DJ (2000). The Plant Book: A portable dictionary of the vascular plants. New York: Cambridge University Press. 
  2. ^ Eckel, P. M. (2000). "Tiny Species: Myosotis stricta Link, A Rare Component of Some Vernal Microfloras in New York and Ontario along the Niagara River". Clintonia 16 (1): 4. http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/ResBot/niag/misc/tinyspecies.pdf. 
  3. ^ Moss, E. H. (1926). "Parasitism in the genus Comandra". New Phytologist 25 (4): 264–276. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1926.tb06695.x. 
  4. ^ Woods, AJ; A. Nussbaum, B. Golding (2000). "Predicted impacts of hard pine stem rusts on lodgepole pine dominated stands in central British Columbia". Canadian Journal of Forest Research 30 (3): 476–481. doi:10.1139/cjfr-30-3-476. 
  5. ^ Johnson, David W. (1986). "Comandra Blister Rust". Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 62. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/comandra/comandrafidl.htm. 

External links