The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

prairie fameflower, rough-seed fameflower

pink fameflower

Habit Plants to 2.5 dm; roots elongate, fleshily woody. Plants to 1.5 dm; roots slender, elongate, tortuous, woody.
Stems

± erect, simple or sometimes branching.

± erect, simple or branching, sometimes bearing persistent midribs of dead leaves basally, suffrutescent.

Leaves

sessile;

blade terete, to 6 cm.

sessile;

blade terete, 1–2.5 cm.

Inflorescences

cymose, much overtopping leaves;

peduncle scapelike, to 15 cm.

cymose, much overtopping leaves;

peduncle scapelike, to 12 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 deciduous, often pinkish, orbiculate to suborbiculate, 2–3 mm;

petals pink, obovate, 4–5 mm;

stamens 10;

stigmas 3, linear.

Capsules

subglobose, 4 mm.

subglobose, 3.5 mm.

Seeds

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

with arcuate ridges, 1 mm.

2n

= 24.

Phemeranthus rugospermus

Phemeranthus longipes

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Sand or sandy soils, dunes, mounds, flats, banks, ridges, edges of igneous or metamorphic rock outcrops, along or near watercourses Open areas in canyons and on slopes, and crests
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 1600-2000 m (5200-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; KS; LA; MN; NE; TX; WI
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; TX; n Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[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.)

Phemeranthus longipes is easily confused with smaller specimens of P. parviflorus, which it resembles in general aspect; the two are most readily distinguished by seed surface, sepal shape, root character, and stamen number. The presence of spinelike persistent leaf midribs at the stem bases has been regarded as a diagnostic feature of P. longipes; not all plants exhibit this condition, however, and some of P. parviflorus approach it closely.

(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. calcaricus, P. calycinus, P. humilis, P. marginatus, P. mengesii, P. parviflorus, P. rugospermus, P. sediformis, P. spinescens, P. teretifolius, P. thompsonii, P. validulus
Synonyms Talinum rugospermum Talinum longipes
Name authority (Holzinger) Kiger: Novon 11: 320. (2001) (Wooton & Standley) Kiger: Novon 11: 320. (2001)
Web links