10 December 2022.
Henry County, Alabama, United States
Locality: Poke Springs Branch inlet accessed by boat from Walter F. George Reservoir. Frequent plants.
Coordinates: 31.7224, -85.1279
(Map it)
Elevation: 63m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in full sun on the eroded bank of the lake. The plants have access to abundant moisture with root systems extended into the lake.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is of Cretaceous origin and characterized as Selma Group; Providence Sand. The upper part of the profile consists of cross-bedded fine to coarse sand and white, dark-gray and pale-red-purple mottled clay containing lignite, sand, and kaolin. The lower part consists of dark-gray laminated to thin-bedded silty clay and abundantly micaceous, carbonaceous, fossiliferous very fine to fine sand.
Source: USGS Alabama Geologic Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=ALKp%3B1)
The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Nankin-Lucy Complex soils (20 to 60 percent slopes). The Nankin Series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils on uplands of the Coastal Plain. They formed in stratified loamy and clayey marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. Soils are comprised of sandy loam in the upper 25 cm to sandy clay loam and sandy clay in lower strata to about 1.7 meters deep; these soils are strongly acid. The Lucy Series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on uplands. They formed in sandy and loamy marine and fluvial sediments of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes vary from 0 to 45 percent. These soils are generally loamy to sandy loam in the upper 25 cm and sandy clay loam in the lower strata to 2 meters; these are strongly acid soils.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 10
Associated species: Eubotrys racemosa, Morella cerifera, Viburnum nudum, Pinus taeda, Ilex opaca, Osmunda regalis, Liriodendron tulipifera, Taxodium distichum, Quercus nigra, Liquidambar styraciflua, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Magnolia grandiflora, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Smilax sp., Bignonia capreolata, Itea virginica, Cartrema americana, Quercus phellos, Arundinaria gigantea, Carex sp., Cyrilla racemiflora
Comment: This species is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub to small tree with an overall broad spreading oval-shaped habit. Individual shrubs range from 3.5-4.5 meters tall x 3-5 meters wide. Fruit are cone-like structures about 1.5-2 cm long, and their scales become dark brown and woody at maturity. Male catkins are already formed and hanging from branches as current season fruit mature. Plants are completely dormant without foliage.
Collector(s):