Phemeranthus teretifolius
Phemeranthus brevifolius
quill fameflower, rock-portulaca
pygmy fameflower
± erect, simple or sometimes branching.
spreading-ascending, branching, sometimes suffrutescent.
sessile;
blade terete, to 6 cm.
sessile;
blade subterete, to 1.5 cm.
cymose, over-topping leaves;
peduncle scapelike, to 25 cm.
cymulose or often only 1-flowered, usually slightly overtopping leaves;
peduncle not scapelike, sometimes rudimentary, to 0.3 cm.
sepals deciduous, elliptic to ovate, 3–4 mm;
petals rose-purple, obovate, 5–7 mm;
stamens 12–20;
stigma 1, subcapitate or sometimes indistinctly 3-lobed.
sepals deciduous, oval to orbiculate, to 4 mm;
petals rose, lavender, or rarely white, obovate, to 10 mm;
stamens 20–25;
stigmas 3, sublinear.
subglobose, 4–5 mm.
subglobose to ellipsoid, 3.5–4 mm.
without arcuate ridges, 0.8–1 mm.
without arcuate ridges, 1 mm.
= 48.
Phemeranthus teretifolius
Phemeranthus brevifolius
Phemeranthus teretifolius is an allopolyploid derived from P. parviflorus and P. mengesii, both of which it evidently outcompetes within its southern Appalachian range (M. E. B. Carter and W. H. Murdy 1985; W. H. Murdy and M. E. B. Carter 1985, 2001).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
MD Biodiversity
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
SW CO Wildflowers
