Santalaceae
Sandalwood Family
Comandra umbellata (L.) Nutt.
- Stem: perennial; 6” to 12” tall; sometimes branched; smooth; parasitic on roots of other plants.
- Leaves: alternate; oval with pointed tips; 1” by 1/4”; sessile; crowded; reticulate veins; smooth above and below; nonflowering plants produce progressively smaller leaves toward the stem tip.
- Inflorescence: few flowers at the tips of branched flower stalks from the upper leaf axils and stem tip; corymbiform.
- Flowers: five white sepals, 1/16” long on a floral cup 1/16” wide; flowering from mid-May to early June.
- Fruits: light brown, one-seeded berries, 3/16” in diameter; fruiting begins in early June.
- Habitat: common on upland, dry prairies; sometimes on lowland prairies and in open woods.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
