Limnanthes alba
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Meadowfoam |
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Limnanthes alba Benth. |
Meadowfoam, Limnanthes alba, is a low growing herbaceous winter annual that is adapted to poorly drained soils. It is the source of Meadowfoam seed oil that is very similar to whale oil, derived from sperm whales. The oil from meadowfoam seeds has unique chemical properties that make it one of the most stable vegetable seed oils known. Meadowfoam is very susceptible to Botrytis cinerea; commercial crops were devastated during the 1982-1984 growing seasons.