Flora of North America species comparison

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Phemeranthus rugospermus

Phemeranthus calcaricus

prairie fameflower, rough-seed fameflower

limestone fameflower
Habit Plants to 2.5 dm; roots elongate, fleshily woody. Plants to 2.5 dm; roots tuberous, fleshy.
Stems

± erect, simple or sometimes branching.

ascending to erect, sometimes branching, ± tufted.
Leaves

sessile;

blade terete, to 6 cm.

sessile;

blade terete, to 5 cm.
Inflorescences

cymose, much overtopping leaves;

peduncle scapelike, to 15 cm.

cymose, overtopping leaves;

peduncle scapelike, to 15 cm.
Flowers

sepals deciduous, ovate, 4 mm;

petals pink to magenta, ovate to obovate, sometimes mucronulate, 6.5–8 mm;

stamens 12–28;

stigmas 3, spreading widely, linear, 1/2–1/3 as long as styles.

sepals persistent, ovate, 3–4 mm;

petals rose-purple, elliptic to obovate, 8–10 mm;

stamens 25–45;

stigma 1, distinctly 3-lobed.
Capsules

subglobose, 4 mm.

ovoid to obovoid, 4–6 mm.
Seeds

without arcuate ridges, 1.2 mm, corrugate-rugulose overall.

without arcuate ridges, 1.2 mm.
2n

= 24.

= 48.

Phemeranthus rugospermus

Phemeranthus calcaricus
Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Sand or sandy soils, dunes, mounds, flats, banks, ridges, edges of igneous or metamorphic rock outcrops, along or near watercourses Cedar glades in shallow soil on limestone outcrops
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 100-400 m (300-1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; KS; LA; MN; NE; TX; WI
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; KY; TN
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Within the overall area of its distribution, Phemeranthus rugospermus is nowhere abundant, its occurrence being everywhere spotty and localized. According to T. S. Cochrane (1993), the disjunctions probably reflect a history of long-distance dispersal from a center in the partially unglaciated Kansas and Nebraska sandhills, the present-day gaps resulting from a paucity of suitable habitats between that area and the others where it is now found. Even so, its discovery in Missouri, Arkansas, and/or Oklahoma would not be surprising.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

A recent study strongly suggests that Phemeranthus calcaricus is a derivative of autotetraploid P. calycinus (W. H. Murdy and M. E. B. Carter 2001). Congruent with that hypothesis, one collection from a glade in Izard County, Arkansas (B. L. Lipscomb 1577, NCU), which is within the range of P. calycinus, appears to belong to P. calcaricus, which is known otherwise only from well east of the Mississippi River and outside the range of P. calycinus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 494. FNA vol. 4, p. 492.
Parent taxa Portulacaceae > Phemeranthus Portulacaceae > Phemeranthus
Sibling taxa
P. aurantiacus, P. brevicaulis, P. brevifolius, P. calcaricus, P. calycinus, P. humilis, P. longipes, P. marginatus, P. mengesii, P. parviflorus, P. sediformis, P. spinescens, P. teretifolius, P. thompsonii, P. validulus
P. aurantiacus, P. brevicaulis, P. brevifolius, P. calycinus, P. humilis, P. longipes, P. marginatus, P. mengesii, P. parviflorus, P. rugospermus, P. sediformis, P. spinescens, P. teretifolius, P. thompsonii, P. validulus
Synonyms Talinum rugospermum Talinum calcaricum
Name authority (Holzinger) Kiger: Novon 11: 320. (2001) (S. Ware) Kiger: Novon 11: 320. (2001)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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