Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Geocaulon lividum
false toadflax
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Bogs and open woods to lower alpine slopes.

Flowers: June-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:
General:

Rhizomatous, glabrous, hemiparasitic perennial herbs with stems 0.7--3 dm tall; rhizomes 1.5--3 mm wide.

Leaves:

Leaves narrowly ovate to obovate-oblanceolate, (1) 1.5−4 cm1.5--5 x 0.5--1 cm, thin and flaccid.

Flowers:

Flowers greenish-white, both hermaphroditic and functionally male (andromonoecious), generally 3 (1−4) in axils of middle to upper leaves; sepals 5, about 1.5 mm long and about as broad; petals absent; hypanthium present, flared, disc nearly flat; stamens 5 and opposite the sepals; pistil 1 with (2) 3 (5) carpels, mostly unilocular; ovary inferior.

Fruits:

Yellow-orange to red, juicy drupe, 6-10 mm; remnants of sepals often on top of fruit.

Accepted Name:
Geocaulon lividum (Richardson) Fernald
Publication: Rhodora 30: 23. 1938.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Comandra livida Richardson [HC]
Comandra lividum Richardson
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Geocaulon lividum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Geocaulon lividum checklist entry

OregonFlora: Geocaulon lividum information

E-Flora BC: Geocaulon lividum atlas page

CalPhotos: Geocaulon lividum photos

6 photographs:
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