Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius)

August 1st, 2014. 

Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius) 

Walton County, GA

Appalachian Fameflowers grow in granite outcrops in this area, often in only an inch or so of soil. They are fascinating in that they begin to open in the late afternoon and take about 15 minutes to open; they close again in the evening

We collected a few plants from an small non-protected area where garbage was being dumped and have them growing and blooming in a small container. They continue to delight with their small flowers. 

Identification resources: 

- AppalachianFameflowers Are Blooming 

- Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius) 

Appalachian Fameflowers Are Blooming!

May 26th, 2012. There’s a tiny granite outcrop by a rural road in Greene County that we visit regularly throughout the year. It’s on our way back from Hancock County. It’s probably not much more than 50’ x 20’ in area but it has some of the essential granite outcrop plants; Appalachian Stitchwort (Minuartia glabra), Elf Orpine (Diamorpha smallii), Grimmia moss, lichen and last, but not least, fairly large areas of Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius).

The Appalachian Fameflower is fascinating because flowers don’t open until late afternoon and then only for a few hours. If the flower is not fertilized by a passing insect while it is open, it will self-fertilize. We first saw this plant in bloom at the Rock and Shoals Natural Area near Athens in 2011. The flowers were closed when we arrived at the granite outcrop at 4:30 pm. As we photographed what we thought were buds, the flowers began to open until they were completed open after about 10 minutes.

Then, late last year, we found them at the granite outcrop in Greene County. Last week, we stopped by the outcrop. We couldn’t see the plants from the truck but when we got out, we could see carpets of the succulent leaves that heralded their ‘arrival’ again this year. Yesterday we stopped by again. The flowers weren’t immediately visible but, again, when we walked over to the outcrop we could see that the plants were blooming.

A small area carpeted with the fameflower plants.

A close up of the plant. This is a perennial and the black stub at the base of the succulent leaves is evidence that these plants are several years old.

An individual plant in bloom. The flowers are only about 1/2 inch in diameter.

A couple of flowers.

A single flower in profile. Individual flower stems may have several flowers. Developing buds are visible below the open flower.

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Individual flowers

This Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) was actively working this patch of flowers and probably pollinating it at the same time.

Phemeranthus teretifolius is one of two Phemeranthus sp. that may be found in Georgia and the Carolinas. Phemeranthus teretifolius is known by several common names: Quill Fameflower, Appalachian Rock-pink, Appalachian Fameflower, or Rock Portulaca. Phemeranthus teretifolius is native to the United States: From Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. Phemeranthus teretifolius is distributed more widely in the Piedmont in Georgia than is Phemeranthus mengesii.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Phemeranthus teretifolius (Appalachian Rock-pink, Appalachian Fameflower, Rock Portulaca)
- Carolina Nature: Appalachian Rock-pink, Talinum - Phemeranthus teretifolius

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Phemeranthus teretifolius (Quill Fameflower)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Phemeranthus teretifolius

Related post:
- Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius)
http://anybodyseenmyfocus.blogspot.com/2011/05/appalachian-fameflower-phemeranthus.html

Appalachian Fameflower (Phemeranthus teretifolius)

Phemeranthus teretifolius is one of two Phemeranthus sp. that may be found in the Piedmont area of Georgia and the Carolinas. Phemeranthus teretifolius is known by several common names: Quill Fameflower, Appalachian Rock-pink, Appalachian Fameflower, or Rock Portulaca. We’d read that this flower could be found at the Rock and Shoals Outcrop Natural Area.

The lure of the Appalachian Fameflower is that each flower only opens for a few hours late in the afternoon. If the flower is not fertilized by a passing insect while it is open, it will self-fertilize. Since we made our visits in the early to mid-afternoon, I never thought I’d see this fameflower in bloom. But fate stepped in…

On April 29th, we arrived at the trailhead a little later than usual and met a DNR staff member who was making sure the mailbox was well stocked with trail maps and doing some repairs to the area beside the steps descending to the trail. We got to talking and time passed. So we were a little late getting started on the trail although we were a lot better informed about the area. Thanks.

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We’d noticed some succulent leaves on short stout stems during our visit in mid-April. Clearly, these plants were perennials but, since I hadn’t done my homework on fameflowers – that they belonged to the family Portulacaceae – I didn’t realize that these were fameflower plants.

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We arrived at the upper rock at the outcrop at about 4:30 pm. A number of the succulent plants had, or were developing buds.

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At 4:36 pm, we thought the best we could hope for were photographs of partly opened blooms.

But as we were photographing the blooms, they appeared to open a little, almost imperceptibly. But it was real!

At 4:41 pm, the bloom opened a little more….

And a little more still…

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Until, at 4:43 pm, the bloom had opened completely.

Of course, as the blooms began to open, we knew that we were witnessing the opening of the Appalachian Fameflower. Something I didn’t think I’d be fortunate enough to see. It was quite extraordinary to sit and watch a bloom open before one’s eyes.

As we made our way down over the lower stone outcrop to leave, we found that many fameflowers had opened in the area between the two outcrops.

Phemeranthus teretifolius is native to the United States: From Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. Phemeranthus teretifolius is distributed more widely in the Piedmont in Georgia than is Phemeranthus mengesii.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Phemeranthus teretifolius (Quill Fameflower)
Compare with: Phemeranthus mengesii (Menges' fameflower)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Phemeranthus teretifolius
Compare with: Phemeranthus mengesii

Identification resources:
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Phemeranthus teretifolius (Appalachian Rock-pink, Appalachian Fameflower, Rock Portulaca)
Compare with: Large-flowered Rock-pink, Menges' Fameflower, Large-flowered Fameflower, Menges' Rock Pink (Phemeranthus mengesii)
- Carolina Nature: Appalachian Rock-pink, Talinum - Phemeranthus teretifolius

Related posts:
- Rock and Shoals Outcrop Natural Area; Part 1, Blue Trail
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower – Wildflower Index