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Limnanthes alba
  • Meadowfoam

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

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Limnanthes alba has 0 material uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

There are no edible uses listed for Limnanthes alba.

Material uses

An oil obtained from the seed has similar properties to whale sperm oil and to Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). It has specialized industrial applications[1]. 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[2].

Unknown part

Oil

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Limnanthes alba.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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[2].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Limnanthes alba. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Succeeds in any soil[3]. 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[2]. 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[2].

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[2]. The sub-species L. alba versicolor has slightly higher oil yields, around 31%[2]. 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[2]. Some new cultivars have been developed with better seed retention and higher oil yields[2].

A very good bee and hoverfly plant.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Limnanthes alba. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Limnanthes alba.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Limnanthes alba
Genus
Limnanthes
Family
Limnanthaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[1][2]
Botanic
[3][4]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    None listed.
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    ?
    Herbaceous or Woody
    ?
    Life Cycle
    annual
    Growth Rate
    ?
    Mature Size
    0.2 x meters
    Fertility
    ?
    Pollinators
    Bees
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    hermaphrodite











    References

    1. ? 1.01.1 Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading ISBN 0704909820 (1986-00-00)
    2. ? 2.02.12.22.32.42.52.62.72.8 Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)
    3. ? 3.03.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
    4. ? Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press (1959-00-00)


    Retrieved from "https://practicalplants.org/w/index.php?title=Limnanthes_alba&oldid=78321"
    Facts about "Limnanthes alba"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteYes +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupYes +
    Belongs to familyLimnanthaceae +
    Belongs to genusLimnanthes +
    Has binomial nameLimnanthes alba +
    Has common nameMeadowfoam +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has fertility typeBees +
    Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
    Has lifecycle typeAnnual +
    Has material partUnknown part +
    Has material useOil +
    Has mature height0.2 +
    Has search namelimnanthes alba + and meadowfoam +
    Has shade toleranceNo shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
    Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
    Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
    Has taxonomy nameLimnanthes alba +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF edible use notes migratedYes +
    PFAF material use notes migratedNo +
    PFAF medicinal use notes migratedYes +
    PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF toxicity notes migratedYes +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
    Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.Limnanthes alba +