Talinum longipes (Pink Flower Flameflower)
Family
PORTULACACEAE
Common Name
Pink Flower Flameflower
Description
Stems mostly grayish in color; sepals usually obtuse, without purple coloring, these deciduous sepals in fruit; petals are white to pale pink, five in number; stamens magenta are usually 10 (but may be fewer); flowers open at dusk; fruit are rounded, usually lumpy due to seeds pressing from inside, and not self dehiscent (requiring mechanical disturbance to open, and then valve immediately deciduous); seeds have raised concentric ridges.
Similar Species
Talinum longipes and T. parviflorum are grossly similar, but upon familiarity are easily distinguished. T. parviflorum does not occur in New Mexico, all of our specimens are T. confertiflorum. Talinum confertiflorum and T. longipes actually belong within seperate sections of the genus, but are superficially very similar.
Distribution
The known distribution of is from south Santa Fe, south Sandoval, and east Cibola counties, New Mexico southward across Trans-Pecos, Texas, to at least the Sierra Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Habitat
Talinum longipes occurs only on calcareus substrates (travertine, limestone, gypsum, limy sandstone), mostly in desert and dry lower mountains and mesas.
Remarks
This is a "Phemeranthus" type Talinum and has been a species of concern on the New Mexico rare plant lists. Until a few years ago, it was not officially recorded from anywhere but the type locality. Many herbarium specimens exist, but are mostly mislabelled as Talinum parviflorum. Specimens in the UNM Herbarium have been anotated, but not in other herbaria (look at the seeds first, it's the easiest trait).
Information Compiled By
David J. Ferguson 1997
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico