Pale Comandra

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Comandra umbellata
Comandra umbellata

Pale comandra. Photo by Penny Dodd.

Ethnobotany

According to Wilkinson, some First Nations people ate the raw berry, and children sucked the nectar from the flowers. (48) However, the fruit may cause nausea.

Botany

This plant of dry open grasslands grows 15–25 cm tall. It is semi-parasitic: its roots attach themselves to other plants from which they obtain water and nutrients. The round terminal clusters of cream or pinkish flowers form in May and June. The sepals of each flower are partly fused, creating ball shaped blossoms. The fruit is a round, hard, olive-green berry with one large seed.

This plant is not currently in the garden, but we hope it is coming soon. 

References

  • Wilkinson, Kathleen. 1999. Wildflowers of Alberta: A Guide to Common Wildflowers and Other Herbaceous Plants. University of Alberta Press and Lone Pine Publishing, AB.

WildflowerPenny Dodd and Marion JankunisGalt Museum & ArchivesComment