Here's a plant that is the only member of its family in this area. It's Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata), in the Sandalwood Family (Santalaceae). This is a large family, but more present in tropical areas.
What makes bastard toadflax interesting is that it is a hemi-parasitic plant, relying on nearby plants for some water and nutrients. It does have green leaves and can photosynthesize.It serves as an alternate host of the common comandra blister rust, a disease destructive to pine trees.
For more information about bastard toadflax, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment