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• Comandraceae
• Geocaulon
• Geocaulon lividum

Geocaulon lividum — false toadflax

Facts

False toadflax is a rare plant of northern and high-altitude areas of New England in low-nutrient soils. It also occurs in coastal peatlands of downeast Maine. The single Vermont population, in a tiny bog on Mount Mansfield, has not been seen since 1901. It is the only member of the genus in New England, and one of only two genera in the small family, Comandraceae. It produces small, greenish flowers without petals, which mature into large orange-red fruits that are edible (though not very tasty).

Habitat

Alpine or subalpine zones, bogs, fens (calcium-rich wetlands), mountain summits and plateaus

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Flower description

  the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium

  Flower petal color

  • blue to purple
  • green to brown

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  • there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Ovary position

  the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  • blue to purple
  • green to brown

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal folds or pleats

  the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal number

  4–5

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  • all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
  • the plant has flowers with both carpels and stamens, as well as flowers with only carpels or only stamens (polygamous)

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the petals and sepals are similar

  Sepal appendages

  • NA
  • the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals

  Stamen number

  • 4
  • 5

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the sepals

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  • NA
  • orange
  • red
  • yellow

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is fleshy

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a drupe (fleshy, with a firm inner ovary wall that encloses a single seed)

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  • NA
  • the ripe berries are mostly one color without spots or streaks

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Horizontal rooting stem

  the plant does not have stolons

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf blade length

  10–40 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
  • the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf types

  • NA
  • There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • alpine or subalpine zones
  • bogs
  • fens (calcium-rich wetlands)
  • mountain summits and plateaus

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  7–30 cm

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae