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Taxon  Report  
Comandra umbellata  (L.) Nutt.
Bastard toadflax
Comandra umbellata is a perennial herb (parasitic) that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Comandra
Family: Comandraceae  
(Santalaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Communities: Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS + POWO
Information about  Comandra umbellata from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
USDA PLANTS Profile (COUM)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Monotypic, Disjunct Range: Comandra is a monotypic genus[3] containing the single species Comandra umbellata. The plant has a disjunct distribution;[3] its four subspecies occur in North America and the Mediterranean.[5] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/23/2025).