07 August 2022.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Eglin AFB, in woodlands along Weaver Creek accessed from unnamed dirt road, 0.82 kilometers west of junction with Eglin AFB 720; approximately 0.73 kilometers north of junction with Choctaw Nolf Airfield Road and Eglin AFB 720.
Coordinates: 30.5175, -86.9149
(Map it)
Elevation: 13m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are found growing in part shade to nearly full sun of a mixed deciduous and broadleaved evergreen woodland along Weaver Creek where there is a wider stream edge with low to flat slopes above the normal creek flow. 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: 2
Associated species: Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Cliftonia monophylla, Cyrilla racemiflora, Lyonia lucida, Gaylussacia mosieri, Oxydendrum arboreum, Ostrya virginiana, Stewartia malacodendron, Itea virginica, Magnolia grandiflora, Quercus hemisphaerica, Pieris phillyreifolia, Drosera intermedia, Arundinaria gigantea, Halesia diptera, Halesia carolina, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium darrowii, Clethra alnifolia, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hamamelis virginiana, Cartrema americanus, Ilex coriacea, Ilex opaca, Magnolia ashei, Ditrysinia fruticosa, Muscadinia rotundifolia, Bignonia capreolata, Callicarpa americana, Chasmanthium sessiliflorus, Mitchella repens, Parthenocissus quinquefolius, Rhododendron serrulatum, Persea borbonia, Ilex glabra, Illicium floridanum, Ilex cassine
Comment: This species is a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub and a spreading, irregularly rounded crown. Plants range from 3-4.5 meters tall x 3-4 meters wide. Leaves with excellent dark green foliage, blades are elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 5-7 cm long x 2-2.5 cm wide. Leaf margins are slightly swollen. Fruit observed were borne terminally on branches in compound inflorescences that are dome-shaped; fruit were uniformly bright pink with the pedicels ranging in color from whitish-green to red.
Collector(s):