''Limnanthes'', the type
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
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 ...
plant
Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
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, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, 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 saf ...
s. Some are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
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 of commercial interest for its
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
, while several other species are rare or endangered. Honey produced by bees that pollinate ''Limnanthes alba'' has the distinct flavor of toasted
marshmallow
Marshmallow (, ) is a confectionery made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. This sugar confection is inspired by a medicina ...
s.
''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, ...
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 (band), a ...
, 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 douglasii''
''
Limnanthes macounii''
''
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 C ...
''
Section ''Inflexae'':
''
Limnanthes alba''
''
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 Critically Endangered, ...
''
''
Limnanthes montana''
References
Jepson manual treatment: ''Limnanthes spp.''
Brassicales genera
Limnanthaceae
{{Brassicales-stub