''Limnanthes'', the type

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of the family Limnanthaceae, consists of annual

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s commonly known as the meadowfoams. The seven species are all native to coastal and adjoining regions (inland valleys, foothills and mountains) of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, where they typically grow in marshy habitats, such as the margins of

vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s. Some are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to California. General form ranges from decumbent to erect, with leaves either pinnately lobed or compound; the lobes or leaflets may themselves range from entire to deeply lobed. Both 4- and 5-sepaled and petaled members are known. The

white meadowfoam ''Limnanthes alba'' is a species of flowering plant in the meadowfoam family known by the common name white meadowfoam. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in wet grassy habitat, such as vernal pools and moist spots in woodland ...

''Limnanthes alba'' is of commercial interest for its oil, while several other species are rare or endangered. Honey produced by bees that pollinate ''Limnanthes alba'' has the distinct flavor of toasted

marshmallows Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...

. ''L. douglasii'' is widely cultivated as a

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

, its white and yellow flower colour giving it the common name of poached egg plant.

Species

The genus is divided into two sections, ''Limnanthes'', in which the sepals reflex (curve back) during fruit maturation, and ''Inflexae'', in which the sepals curve over the maturing fruit. Section ''Limnanthes'': ''

Limnanthes bakeri ''Limnanthes bakeri'' is a rare species of meadowfoam known by the common name Baker's meadowfoam. It is endemic to Mendocino County, California, where it is known from only about 20 occurrences in the vicinity of Willits. It is a plant of wet, ...

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Limnanthes douglasii ''Limnanthes douglasii'' is a species of annual flowering plant in the family Limnanthaceae (meadowfoam) commonly known as Douglas' meadowfoam or poached egg plant. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in wet, grassy habitat, suc ...

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Limnanthes macounii ''Limnanthes macounii'' (Macoun's meadowfoam) is an endangered meadowfoam. It is a narrow endemic of south-western British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the ...

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Limnanthes vinculans ''Limnanthes vinculans'', the Sebastopol meadowfoam, is an endangered species of meadowfoam found only in the Laguna de Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, California, United States and an area slightly to the south in the Americano Creek and Washoe Cr ...

'' Section ''Inflexae'': ''

Limnanthes alba ''Limnanthes alba'' is a species of flowering plant in the meadowfoam family known by the common name white meadowfoam. It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows in wet grassy habitat, such as vernal pools and moist spots in woodland ...

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Limnanthes floccosa ''Limnanthes floccosa'', or woolly meadowfoam, is a species of meadowfoam found in Northern California and Southern Oregon, in the United States. Most of the subspecies have highly restricted distributions and are listed as critical or endangere ...

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Limnanthes montana ''Limnanthes montana'' is a species of meadowfoam known by the common name mountain meadowfoam. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coas ...

References

Jepson manual treatment: ''Limnanthes spp.''
Brassicales genera Limnanthaceae {{Brassicales-stub