Geocaulon lividum Fernald

False toadflax (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Santalales > Santalaceae > Geocaulon

Characteristics

Fernald Stems 1–3 dm; lvs elliptic to oblong or narrowly ovate, 1–4 cm, blunt or rounded, reticulate-veiny; fls in shortly slender-peduncled dichasia from a few upper axils, these soon becoming middle axils by continued growth of the axis; tep greenish-purple, triangular, 1.5 mm; filaments very short and broad, scarcely exceeding the lobes of the disk; fr orange-yellow to scarlet, 5–10 mm thick; 2n=26. Sphagnum-bogs and wet coniferous woods; Lab. and Nf. to Alas. and B.C., s. to Me., N.H., n. N. Y., and n. Mich. June–Aug. (Comandra l.)
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A small herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 20-30 cm high. It has a slender rootstock. The stems are leafy and smooth. The flowers are small and green. The fruit are fleshy and bright red when ripe. They are edible.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support parasite
Foliage retention -
Sexuality
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.04
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It grows in damp places in open conifer forests in the Rocky Mountains.
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Moss or damp humus.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

The fruit can be eaten but is not attractive.
Uses medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use Cathartic (bark), Dermatological Aid (bark), Emetic (bark), Cathartic (leaf), Dermatological Aid (leaf), Emetic (leaf), Unspecified (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Geocaulon lividum unspecified picture

Distribution

Geocaulon lividum world distribution map, present in Canada, France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and United States of America

Conservation status

Geocaulon lividum threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:108804-2
WFO ID wfo-0000699709
COL ID 3FNXS
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 761888
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Comandra livida Geocaulon lividum Hamiltonia sarmentosa