The Limnanthaceae are a small family of annual herbs occurring throughout temperate North America. There are eight species and nineteen taxa currently recognized. Members of this family are prominent in vernal pool communities of California. Some taxa have been domesticated for use as an oil seed crop. Some members are listed as threatened or endangered and have been the focus of disputes over development plans (e.g. Limnanthes floccosa subsp. californica,[2]Limnanthes vinculans[3] )
The Limnanthaceae are members of a recently identified clade (Brassicales) of mustard oil producing plants. They have a sharp flavor similar to mustard greens, radish or capers.[4]
Two genera are recognized in the family. The monotypic genus Floerkea inhabits shaded, vernally wet habitats in eastern North American deciduous forests, high montane islands in the great basin and humid coniferous forests along the northwest coast. All seven species of Limnanthes, with one British Columbian exception, occur solely in the California Floristic Province, most commonly occupying grassland or savanna vernal pool habitats. Various taxa of this genus are prominent elements in the flora of the Great Central Valley "hogwallow" communities, the coastal prairie, and wet meadows of the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada/Cascade foothills up to 1800 meters. Disjunct populations occur in the Peninsular Ranges just north of the Mexican border and in the Umpqua River valley of central Oregon. In favorable years Limnanthes can cover large areas with white flowers (hence the common name Meadowfoam) and in hogwallow habitats sometimes forms spectacular rings surrounding the deepest parts of the pools.
Two sorts of flowers are found in the family, reflecting different breeding systems: some taxa have inconspicuous perianths and reproduce largely by self-pollination. Others have large, showy flowers, usually pentamerous and white, some with varying amounts of yellow or ultraviolet, others with prominent rose or brown veins and anthers. These are fully to predominantly outcrossing, usually pollinated by species of solitary bees in the genera Panurginus, Andrena and Hesperandrina.
The Flora of North America Project has chosen a line drawing of Floerkea to serve as its logo because of this taxon's ubiquitous (but obscure) occurrence in many areas of North America, and the diverse aspects of the family including economic and horticultural value, endangered species status and fruitful subject of scientific research.
^Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083.
^"Chico News and Review". newsreview.com.
^"USA Today". usatoday.com. 2006-07-17.
^Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) (2003): An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society141(4): 399-436. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x PDF fulltext
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