Limnanthes

Scientific name

Limnanthes R. Br.

Common names

meadowfoam

Family

Limnanthaceae

Similar genera

Oenanthe, Potentilla, Ranunculus

Native distribution

western North America

Species cultivated

Limnanthes douglasii R. Br.

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibious, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
herb

Brief description

Annual in vernal pools. Stems ascending to erect, sparsely to densely branched, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to densely hairy. Leaves mainly basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
; petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; 1- or 2-pinnate, leaflets 2- to 3-lobed, especially lower ones; leafletleaflet:
(n) one of the leaf-like units of a compound leaf
bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
; margins entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Flower axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
, pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
, typically cup-shaped to campanulatecampanulate:
(adj) bell-shaped
, white, yellow, or yellow with white tips; sepals (4) 5, lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
to acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or densely villousvillous:
(adj) pubescent with long and soft hairs that are not interwoven
; petals (4) 5, usually longer than sepals, obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
emarginate to obcordate, jagged, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or with 2 rows of hairs basally, veins hyalinehyaline:
(adj) thin and translucent or transparent
, yellow or purplish, usually with scattered long hairs; stamens 8 or 10; ovaryovary:
(n) a hollow organ at the base of the carpel of a flower in which ovules are produced
4 or 5-lobed.

Natural habitat

vernally or permanently wet meadows, springs, bogs, and along streams

Additional comments

Limnanthes contains less than 10 species, although there is some variation among some species. Limnanthes may form dense carpets in seasonally vernal pools, which dry out during the warmer months.