Limnanthes douglasii
Common meadowfoam
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Family: Limnanthaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Limnanthes douglasii (Common meadowfoam) is a native California herb in the Limnanthaceae family.
Common meadowfoam is a California native annual found in central California coastal and interior valley regions in grassland and vernal pool habitats at low elevations. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white to yellow flowers with delicate petals that have purple to pink veins, creating a soft, multicolored appearance. Growing with erect or ascending stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall, the plant has a delicate, spreading form with glabrous herbage. Its leaves are compound, featuring 5 to 13 linear to lanceolate leaflets that are entire or occasionally toothed, giving the plant a fine, lacy texture. The flowers develop into smooth mericarps with distinctive petal bases that reflexed after blooming.
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Trinity, Sonoma, Mendocino, Amador, Santa Cruz, Butte, San Diego, Tehama, Solano, Sacramento, Lake, Marin, San Benito, Alameda, Napa, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Lassen, Monterey, Tulare, Placer, El Dorado, Stanislaus, Madera, Merced, Santa Barbara, Glenn
How to tell it apart
vs Cerastium: Limnanthes has jagged petal tips and entire leaves; Cerastium has deeply notched petals.; vs Layia: Limnanthes has separate 4-5 petals in a simple flower; Layia is a composite with many ray flowers.; vs Sabulina: Limnanthes has pinnately divided fern-like leaves; Sabulina has simple narrow leaves.; vs Nemophila: Limnanthes has 4 petals with jagged tips; Nemophila has 5 petals with smooth edges.; vs Sidalcea: Limnanthes has 4-5 petals and pinnate leaves; Sidalcea has 5 petals and palmately lobed leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Limnanthes douglasii native to California?
Yes. Limnanthes douglasii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Limnanthes douglasii grow?
Limnanthes douglasii occurs in Humboldt, Trinity, Sonoma, Mendocino, Amador, Santa Cruz, Butte, San Diego and other counties.
What plant family does Limnanthes douglasii belong to?
Limnanthes douglasii is in the Limnanthaceae family, genus Limnanthes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.