Phemeranthus mengesii (W. Wolf) Kiger

Menges' Rock Pink

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Menges' Rock Pink is a native perennial herbaceous plant in the Spring Beauty family (Montiaceae). It is found in the northern half of Alabama. Menges' Rock Pink occurs in shallow soil pools in open areas of sandstone, granite, gneiss, or rarely limestone outcrops. It is a perennial from an elongate, fleshy-woody taproot. Stems are erect, sparsely branched, and 3-10 inches in height. Leaves are alternate, sessile, terete, and succulent. Flowers are produced in open cymes on an elongate scape-like peduncle that overtops the plant. The flowers of Menges' Rock Pink open only for 2-4 hours from noon until early afternoon. Individual flowers are pedicellate with 2 promptly deciduous green sepals, 5 pink or purplish petals, and 40-100 stamens. The fruit is a globose capsule with many small black seed. Menges' Rock Pink is listed as a S2S3 species in Alabama (6 to 100 occurrences, few remaining individuals, limited acreage, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3 species (imperiled globally because of rarity or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond

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Native S2S3 (State Rank) G3 (Global Rank)

Hansen, C.J. 2017. A brief biography of Wolfgang Wolf and typification of the plant names he published. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 11(1): 103-116.