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LIMNANTHACEAE

MEADOWFOAM FAMILY

Robert Ornduff

Annual, glabrous to hairy
Stem generally branched
Leaves alternate, deeply pinnately lobed to 1–2-compound; stipules 0
Inflorescence: flowers solitary in axils, peduncled
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals 3–5, free; petals 3–5, free, white to pink or yellow; stamens 3, 8, or 10, free, generally in 2 whorls; nectary glands at bases of outer stamens; pistils 2–5, ± free, 1-ovuled, styles fused except sometimes at tip
Fruit: nutlets 1–5, ovoid to spheric, generally tubercled
Genera in family: 2 genera, 10 species: temp North America
Chromosomes: 2n=10 for all species

LIMNANTHES

MEADOWFOAM

Annual, decumbent to erect
Leaf generally 1-odd-pinnately lobed or compound; lobes or leaflets entire to deeply lobed
Flower: sepals 4–5; petals 4–5, generally > sepals, tips toothed or jagged; stamens 8 or 10; pistils 4–5
Fruit: nutlets 1–5, smooth or tubercled
Species in genus: 9 species: ± coastal w North America
Etymology: (Greek: marsh flower, from habitat)
Reference: [Mason 1952 Univ Calif Publs Bot 25:455–512]
Sect. Inflexae merits critical review. Fls spring.

Native

L. alba Benth.


Stem < 30 cm
Leaf < 10 cm; leaflets 5–9, < 15 mm, linear to ovate, entire to deeply 3-lobed
Flower cup- to bell-shaped; sepals 7–8 mm; petals 10–15 mm, white; stamens 5–6 mm, anthers 2 mm; style 5–6 mm
Fruit: nutlets, 3–4 mm, obovoid, smooth, wrinkled, widely ridged, or sharply tubercled
Ecology: Winter-wet grasslands, woodlands, edges of vernal pools, ephemeral streams
Elevation: < 1800 m.
Bioregional distribution: s North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, n&c Sierra Nevada Foothills, n High Sierra Nevada, Great Central Valley.

Native

subsp. alba

Herbage sparsely to densely hairy when young
Flower: sepals densely hairy
Fruit widely ridged
Ecology: Winter-wet grasslands, woodlands
Elevation: < 1400 m.
Bioregional distribution: s North Coast Ranges, n&c Sierra Nevada Foothills, Great Central Valley
Horticultural information: TRY.

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