Legenere limosa

Legenere limosa is an annual wildflower of the bellflower family endemic to limited portions of Northern California. This species is the sole member of the genus Legenere. The species common name is False Venus’ looking glass. Blooming in May and June, it occurs below elevations of 610 meters in vernal pools and certain other moist habitats. Principal colonies are in Solano County, Sacramento County, Lake County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Tehama County and Yuba County. Main threats to the species are grazing and human overpopulation. Stems are reclining and of length ten to thirty centimeters, but the lateral slender branches are rigid. An alternate common name for this organism is Greene’s Legenere, after Edward Lee Greene who first described this plant in 1890; the genus name Legenere is derived as an anagram of “E. L. Greene”. The species name limosa derives from the Latin words limus (meaning mud) and sella {meaning seat): the plant that is seated in mud.