09 December 2022.
Lee County, Georgia, United States
Locality: Plant growing on the bank of Muckalee Creek on the property of Monica Williams north of Albany, Georgia. The species is infrequent, but occasionally seen in drier woods; more common along Muckalee Creek.
Coordinates: 31.6351, -84.1335
(Map it)
Elevation: 60m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: This plant is growing in light shade of well-drained to dry understory of a mixed evergreen and deciduous woodland, approximately 2 meters above Muckalee Creek, on a sandy bench where occasional scouring has resulted in lower competition. This plant is occasionally impacted by flooding; however, it is not subjected to extended periods of high moisture.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is of Eocene origin and characterized as Ocala Limestone. The Ocala Limestone consists of almost pure limestones with occasional dolomites. It can be subdivided into both lower and upper facies with the lower facies composed of a whitish to cream-colored, fine to medium grained, poorly to moderately hard, fossil rich grainstone and packstone. The upper Ocala is white and somewhat weak and poorly sorted. It is extremely fossil rich grainstone, packstone and wackestone and some chert is common in the upper facies.
Source: USGS Georgia Geologic Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=GANu%3B1)
The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Herod and Muckalee Series soils. The Herod Series consists of poorly drained moderately permeable soils formed in loamy alluvium. These soils are on flood plains of streams in the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The Muckalee Series consists of poorly drained moderately permeable soils formed in loamy and sandy alluvium. These soils are on flood plains of streams in the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 1
Associated species: Bignonia capreolata, Quercus michauxii, Rhododendron viscosum, Magnolia grandiflora, Hamamelis virginiana, Quercus nigra, Ilex opaca, Rhododendron austrinum, Muscadinia rotundifolia, Callicarpa americana, Prunus caroliniana, Smilax sp., Ulmus alata, Acer rubrum, Vaccinium elliottii, Baccharis halimifolia, Ilex vomitoria, Arundinaria gigantea, Acer floridanum, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Carpinus caroliniana, Quercus phellos, Betula nigra, Ditrysinia fruticosa, Gelsemium sempervirens, Symplocos tinctoria, Cartrema americana, Solidago sp., Clinopodium georgianum, Vaccinium arboreum, Sideroxylon lycioides
Comment: This individual plant is a strongly multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub forming a broad-spreading rounded arching to deliquescent habit. It is approximately 4.5 meters tall x 4.5 meters wide. Leaves have dropped. Capsules are borne in clusters on erect pedicels; capsules range in size from 14-22 mm long × 3-4 mm wide. They are sparsely to moderately eglandular-hairy. Notes: According to Monica Williams, this plant is not only the largest specimen of Rhododendron alabamense on her property, it also has striking flowers in spring. She noted that the flowers have a bold yellow blotch that is striking compared other plants of this species on her property. It is also unusual for Rhododendron alabamense to produce such a strong multi-stemmed and large broadly rounded habit; could this be a hybrid or just an unusually vigorous specimen? This is one of the reasons that seed from this plant was separated from other collections of Rhododendron alabamense on this property.
Collector(s):