Limnanthes spp (Meadowfoam)
Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain
about the species
Limnanthes is a genus of annual flowering plants endemic to California and southern Oregon, best known for its association with vernal pools, seasonally wet grasslands, and seeps. The genus includes multiple species and subspecies, such as Limnanthes alba, L. bakeri, L. douglasii, and L. vinculans, many of which are narrowly distributed and exhibit striking variation in flower color and habitat preference. Meadowfoams are adapted to highly specialized hydrologic conditions and are characteristic components of California’s unique seasonal wetland ecosystems.
why species was selected
Limnanthes meadowfoams were selected because they represent a diverse radiation of habitat-specialized plants, many of which are rare or threatened by habitat loss and hydrologic alteration. Comparing genomic diversity across species and subspecies will clarify evolutionary relationships, local adaptation, and population connectivity, supporting conservation and management of vernal pool and seasonal wetland ecosystems in California.
