Limnanthes alba subsp. versicolor
Family: Limnanthaceae · Type: annual · Native
white meadowfoam is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada in winter-wet grasslands, woodlands, and along ephemeral streams at elevations of 150 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to June, this delicate plant produces cream-colored flowers with tips that dry to a lilac hue, measuring 12 to 15 millimeters across with recurved petals. Growing as a low-spreading herb with glabrous herbage, it forms delicate clusters close to the ground. Its leaves are smooth and unadorned, blending seamlessly with the moist, seasonal landscapes where it thrives. The small fruits are approximately 3.5 millimeters long, with surfaces that may appear either smooth or finely textured with sharp tubercles.
Habitat: Winter-wet grassland, woodland, edges of vernal pools, ephemeral streams
Bloom period: May-Jun
Elevation: 150-2100 m
Bioregions: KR, CaRF, n&c SN.
California counties: Tuolumne, Calaveras, El Dorado, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, Amador, Nevada, Placer
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.