Native Plants

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Marcus, Joseph A.

Phemeranthus aurantiacus

Phemeranthus aurantiacus (Engelm.) Kiger

Orange Flameflower, Flameflower, Fameflower, Talinum

Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)

Synonym(s): Talinum angustissimum, Talinum aurantiacum, Talinum aurantiacum var. angustissimum, Talinum polygaloides

USDA Symbol: phau13

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Orange Flameflower is a 20 in., succulent perennial bearing showy, yellow-orange or copper-colored flowers after summer rains. Flowers occur singly in leaf axils; opening in the morning and withering by late afternoon. Leaves are linear and fleshy. Rather stout, erect stems with evenly distributed, narrow, succulent leaves have one flower in each upper leaf axil.

From the Image Gallery

14 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Pink , Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Bloom Notes: Yellow or orange, sometimes reddish, rarely pinkish.

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: W. TX to s. AZ & adjacent Mex.
Native Habitat: Edwards Plateau to North Central Texas to Trans-Pecos. Dry, poor soils and limestone. Plains; rocky slopes; To 5000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: A succulent plant well-adapted to a dry climate, Flameflower (or Fameflower) has fleshy green leaves and stems, and orange flowers with red margins. Native Americans once ate the large taproot. This feature helps Flameflower survive long periods of drought and then sprout new growth when water is available.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Foliage is often browsed by wildlife.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0130 Collected Sept. 9, 1991 in Bexar County by Lottie Millsaps

1 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1946 Collected 2017-09-17 in Hays County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Phemeranthus aurantiacus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Phemeranthus aurantiacus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phemeranthus aurantiacus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-22
Research By: TWC Staff

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