Commicarpus is placed in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus consists of about 20 species. They are perennial herbs or subshrubs, often procumbent or climbing. They are mostly from Africa but also southern Europe, Asia, Australia and parts of the New World.

Commicarpus pentandrus commonly known as Veldpatats is a South African indigenous species from the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and Western Cape Province. It forms a rounded shrub to 1 meter tall. It bears pinky mauve flowers which are followed by strange sticky seed capsules. It was previously known as Boerhavia pentandra.