Practical
Plants

Limnanthes alba

Meadowfoam

an annual member of the Limnanthes genus in the family Limnanthaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.2 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An oil obtained from the seed has similar properties to whale sperm oil and to Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). It has specialized industrial applications[2]. The seed contains ca 20% protein, 25 - 30% oil, with 1.56% volatile isothiocyanates. The high concentration of C20 and fatty acids in the seed oil is unique. No other seed oil is known to have as high concentration (>90%) of total fatty acids of chain length greater than C18[3].

Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Vernal pools or low moist open places from sea level to 1200 metres[4]. The sub-species L. alba versicolor(Greene.)C.T.Mason. grows at elevations up to 1600 metres[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ. Germination takes place within 3 weeks. Germination is better at lower temperatures - good results are achieved at about 5°C, whilst temperatures in excess of 20°C give poor results[3].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any soil[1]. Prefers an open sunny position and a cool root run, doing well by concrete paths, rocks etc. Ranging from Warm Temperate Moist through Subtropical Dry to Moist Forest Life Zones, white foam, or cvs thereof, is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 70 to 11 m, an annual temperature of 12 to 19°C, and pH of 5.6 to 6[3]. This species is essentially a xerophyte, flowering and setting seed on the last seasonal soil and stem moisture. It has about the same water requirement as dry-farmed winter grains, and seems to require less moisture than other species of this genus. Does well on soils with pH 6.2, especially on slopes and in cultivated fields[3]. The seed contains about 24 - 30% of an oil that is potentially a good replacement for sperm whale oil. This species is being trialled as a possible commercial oil seed crop[3]. The sub-species L. alba versicolor has slightly higher oil yields, around 31%[3]. Experimentally, yields of 1 tonne of seed per hectare has been obtained, though these yields would need to be doubled to make the plant a commercial prospect[3]. Some new cultivars have been developed with better seed retention and higher oil yields[3]. A very good bee and hoverfly plant.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820

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  3. Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00

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  4. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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