20 November 2021.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: Plants growing in wetland seeps surrounded by mown hayfields just west of the Middle Branch White Clay Creek in Goddard Park, West Grove Pennsylvania, off of Wickerton Road, Chester County.
Coordinates: 39.8009, -75.8238
(Map it)
Elevation: 100m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Habitat Notes: Plants are growing in permanently saturated to moist soils in wetland habitats. Plants appear to be obligate wetland plants and are found only in permanent to nearly permanent wet habitats observed. Generally, the shrubs are found in part shade to full sun. Soils: Soils found in the areas where this collection was made are comprised primarily of Hatboro silt loam (Ha). Hatboro silt loam consists of very deep and poorly drained soils formed in deposited alluvium derived from metamorphic and crystalline rock. They are on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Slope: 0 to 3% Aspect: Variable.
Number of plants sampled: 15
Associated species: Ilex verticillata; Lindera benzoin; Viburnum dentatum; Carex sp.; Smilax glabra; Toxicodendron radicans; Acer rubrum; Smilax rotundifolia; Fraxinus pensylvanica; Vitis riparia; Viburnum prunifolium; Osmundastrum cinnamomeum; Theylepteris palustris; Phytolacca americana; Nyssa sylvatica; Rubus hispidus; Acer negundo; Onoclea sensibilis; Malus angustifolia; Persicaria pennsylvanica; Sambucus canadensis; Arisaema triphyllum; Symplocarpus foetidus; Chelone glabra; Cornus amomum; Solidago sp.; Vernonia noveboracensis; Lobelia cardinalis; Platanus occidentalis; Acer saccharinum; Salix nigra; Dioscorea villosa; Alnus serrulata; Typha latifolia; Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani; Alliaria petiolata; Lonicera japonica; Rosa multiflora; Pyrus calleryana; Celastrus orbiculatus; Rubus phoenicolasius; Duchesnia indica; Microstegium vimineum. (NOTE: Much of the obligate wetland species found on the site had died down following several frosts; diversity of associate species on this site was very high, though.)
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, upright, deciduous shrubs. Mature plants reach 2-3 meters tall and 4+ meters wide. Plants form colonies with numerous shoots arising from the ground. Red, fleshy fruits, containing several seeds, are borne terminally in clusters on branches. Fruits are globose and dark red when fully mature and approximately 10-12 mm in diameter. Leaves are pinnately compound, alternate, and coarsely serrate along the margins of the leaflets. Stems are armed with strongly recurved thorns. Plants are common in the wetland habitat and scattered nearby along margins where the soils are not permanently wet. The plants appear restricted to the well-defined wetland habitats that are infrequent in the geographic area.
Collector(s):