Comandra umbellata.© 2003 Janet Novak. ct-botanical-society.org.. (Accessed 5/2014).

Comandra umbellata is a perennial, partial root parasite (hemiparasite) to 40 cm tall, stems leafy, mostly unbranched, colonial from rhizomes. 

Leaves alternate, oblong, to 5 cm long, conspicuously net-veined, thin, pale below. 

Flowers small, greenish-white, calyx 5-parted, bell-shaped, lobes 0.3 cm, no petals (Newcomb 1977), in branched clusters, blooms May-June. 

Fruit dry, to 0.6 cm wide. 

Wetland status: FACU-. 

Frequency in NYC: Very infrequent. 

Origin: Native. 

Habitat: Dry to moist open woods or fields, sandy, acid soil.