Flora of North America species comparison

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Phemeranthus spinescens

Phemeranthus brevifolius

spinescent fameflower, spiny fameflower

pygmy fameflower
Habit Plants to 3 dm; roots elongate, woody. Plants sometimes mat-forming, to 0.6 dm; roots elongate, woody.
Stems

erect to ascending, simple or branching, bearing ± persistent, straight, spinelike, 5 mm or more, proximal portions of midribs of old leaves, suffrutescent.

spreading-ascending, branching, sometimes suffrutescent.
Leaves

petiolate;

blade subterete, to 2.5 cm, base attenuate.

sessile;

blade subterete, to 1.5 cm.
Inflorescences

cymose, overtopping leaves;

peduncle scapelike, to 20 cm.

cymulose or often only 1-flowered, usually slightly overtopping leaves;

peduncle not scapelike, sometimes rudimentary, to 0.3 cm.
Flowers

sepals deciduous, orbiculate to ovate, to 3 mm;

petals pale to bright rose or purplish red, elliptic to obovate, to 10 mm;

stamens 20–30;

stigma 1, subcapitate.

sepals deciduous, oval to orbiculate, to 4 mm;

petals rose, lavender, or rarely white, obovate, to 10 mm;

stamens 20–25;

stigmas 3, sublinear.
Capsules

ovoid-globose, 5 mm.

subglobose to ellipsoid, 3.5–4 mm.
Seeds

without arcuate ridges, 1.2 mm.

without arcuate ridges, 1 mm.

Phemeranthus spinescens

Phemeranthus brevifolius
Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Cliffs, ledges, and outcrops in basaltic soils Dry, rocky slopes and ledges in sand pockets
Elevation 700-1100 m (2300-3600 ft) 1500-2200 m (4900-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of Phemeranthus brevifolius from western Texas and southern New Mexico, where it does not actually occur, apparently have been based on misidentified specimens of P. brevicaulis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 495. FNA vol. 4, p. 491.
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. rugospermus, P. sediformis, P. teretifolius, P. thompsonii, P. validulus
P. aurantiacus, P. brevicaulis, P. calcaricus, 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 spinescens Talinum brevifolium, Talinum brachypodum
Name authority (Torrey) Hershkovitz: Taxon 46: 222. (1997) (Torrey) Hershkovitz: Taxon 46: 222. (1997)
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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