29 July 2022.
Okaloosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Growing in a pond 0.37 kilometers east of Eglin AFB Range Road 220 accessed by foot.
Coordinates: 30.6773, -86.4666
(Map it)
Elevation: 49m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Shrubs were growing in full sun in a shallow somewhat stagnant pond containing sphagnum moss on hammocks/islands in association with small evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, vines and emergent herbaceous wetland plants. The pond appeared to be approximately 1 meter deep in the center to only a few centimeters deep along the edges with many small hammocks/islands containing a variety of obligate wetland and some aquatic plants. The water was a dark color and the general impression of this site was that the species diversity was lower than wetlands seen at other locations. The pond is perched at a higher elevation than the surrounding land with no discernable source of water feeding it; the team suspected that rainfall and, possible, sub-surface seeps may play a role in maintaining the habitat. There was some suspicion that under extreme drought, the pond may occasionally dry out. The underlying geology of this area is the Citronelle Formation, of Pliocene origin, and consists of gray to orange, often mottled, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, very fine to very coarse, poorly sorted, clean to clayey sands. It contains significant amounts of clay, silt and gravel which may occur as beds and lenses and may vary considerably over short distances. Limonite nodules and limonite-cemented beds are common.
Number of plants sampled: 1
Associated species: Magnolia virginiana, Nyssa biflora, Smilax laurifolia, Persea borbonia, Sabal minor, Woodwardia virginica, Smilax walterii, Pinus serotina, Ilex myrtifolia, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Pinus elliottii, Carex sp., Ilex glabra, Vaccinium corymbosum
Comment: Multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with a rounded irregular loosely open and spreading habit. Observed plants ranged from 1.5-3.5 meters tall and 1.5-2.5 meters wide. Twigs are reddish brown, thin and somewhat delicate in appearance with a prominent zigzag pattern; newest stem growth of current season is bright red. The simple leaves are 2.5-6.25 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide, deciduous, alternate, somewhat leathery, oblong to lance-shaped with entire margins that are slightly thickened. The petioles of the leaves range from 1.0-2.0 cm long and are bright red. This species is dioecious. Most plants observed on this site were not fruiting; we found one plant with abundant fruit. Observed fruit were round, borne individually on the upper branches on a short pedicel, 0.3-0.5 cm long, still green, and 0.5-0.7 cm in diameter.
Collector(s):