15 September 2022.
Worcester County, Maryland, United States
Locality: Plants growing in low woodlands at the end of Greenway Avenue near a boat dock that leads to the Pocomoke River, adjacent to Winter Quarters Golf Course, Pocomoke City. Plants scattered throughout the wetland area. Infrequent, but regularly found.
Coordinates: 38.0824, -75.5657
(Map it)
Elevation: 1m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants growing in the flood plain of the Pocomoke River in part shade to shade of a mixed deciduous and evergreen bottomland habitat about 10 meters from the edge of the golf course fairway. The habitat is a mucky swamp edge habitat next to the Pocomoke River, most of which seems wet year-round.
The underlying geology of this area is comprised of Quaternary Deposits of Wisconsin to Holocene origin. The composition is primarily undifferentiated gray to buff sand and gravel, gray to brown lignitic silt and clay, occasional boulders, and rare shell beds. Surficial deposits occur as shell-bearing estuarine clays and silts.
Source: USGS Maryland Geologic Map Data https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=MDQdu%3B5
The surface soil profile of this habitat is classified as Puckum Muck which is frequently flooded. These highly saturated soils are found in flats, depressions and swales. The soil reaction of Puckum Muck is extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the profile. The depth to bedrock is generally greater than 150 cm. Wood fragments comprise 0-25%, by volume of the Puckum Muck throughout the profile which includes mostly twigs, branches, logs, or stumps and are 1.5-30 cm in diameter. The composition of these highly saturated soils, are classified as muck (sapric soil material) or mucky peat (hemic soil material) throughout most of the upper 150 cm and may contain thin layers of mucky silt loam, silty clay loam, sandy loam and/or sand.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 5
Associated species: Tamala palustris, Mitchella repens, Carpinus caroliniana, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Acer rubrum, Carex sp., Fagus grandifolia, Nyssa biflora, Ulmus americana, Liriodendron tulipifera, Rubus sp., Vitis sp., Toxicodendron radicans, Ilex verticillata, Chamaecyparis thyoides, Clethra alnifolia, Ilex opaca, Magnolia virginiana, Pinus serotina, Smilax laurifolia, Smilax walteri, Smilax spp., Prunus serotina, Quercus marilandica, Quercus stellata, Liquidambar styraciflua, Commelina virginica, Woodwardia areolata, Mikania scandens, Viburnum nudum, Lyonia ligustrina, Eubotrys racemosus, Vaccinium corymbosum, Aronia arbutifolia, Saururus cernuus, Morella cerifera, Quercus nigra, Pinus taeda, Arundinaria gigantea, Helenium autumnale, Hibiscus moscheutos, Pontederia cordata, Sambucus canadensis, Itea virginica, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Alnus serrulata, Rosa palustris, Boehmeria cylindrica, Ilex glabra, Viburnum dentatum, Clematis virginiana, Apios americanum, Phoradendron leucarpum, Cypripedium acaule, Celtis occidentalis
Comment: This species is a multi-stemmed, clumping, deciduous shrub with an upright irregular spreading habit. Mature plants ranged from 2-3.5 meters tall x 0.5-1.5 meters wide. Leaves are simple, alternate, frequently eglandular-hairy and ovate to obovate. Leaves range from 2.5-8 cm long x 1-2 cm wide and have fine minute serrations along the margins. Fruits are borne in clusters on erect pedicels, ~2.5 cm long and, frequently, with stipitate glandular as well as eglandular hairs on the capsules (occasionally nearly glabrous by the end of the season as well).
Collector(s):