14 December 2022.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Plants growing in woodlands at Escribano Point Bayou Campground not far from the parking lot. Occasional.
Coordinates: 30.5102, -87.0045
(Map it)
Elevation: 1m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in part-shade of dense mesic vegetation only a few meters from the edge of mixed evergreen and deciduous woodland associated with the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve. While this habitat surface is typical mesic and well-drained, it is clearly subject to periods of inundation from high tides or storms as it is a meter or less above the marsh habitat. Additionally, it seems likely that there is plentiful moisture further down in the soil profile based on some of the plant associates.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is classified as Alluvium, of Pleistocene/Holocene origin and consists of undifferentiated Quaternary sediments of varying thickness including siliciclastics, organics and freshwater carbonates. The siliciclastics are light gray, tan, brown to black, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, clean to clayey, silty, unfossiliferous, variably organic-bearing sands to blue green to olive green, poorly to moderately consolidated, sandy, silty clays. Organics occur as plant debris, roots, disseminated organic matrix and beds of peat. Freshwater carbonates, often referred to as marls in the literature, are scattered.
Source: USGS FL Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/state.php?state=fl)
The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Ortega Sand soils (0 to 5 percent slopes). The Ortega Series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in a sandy deposit on marine terraces. These soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping upland landscapes. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. They are extremely acid to slightly acid throughout. They are fine sand or sand to depths of more than 2 meters. Silt plus clay totals less than 5 percent between 25 cm and 1 meter depth.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 5
Associated species: Pinus clausa, Pteridium aquilinum, Vaccinium sp., Ilex coriacea, Smilax sp., Aronia arbutifolia, Pinus palustris, Ilex vomitoria, Serenoa repens, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rubus sp., Smilax pumila, Morella cerifera, Quercus nigra, Viburnum nudum, Persea borbonia, Ilex glabra, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Cliftonia monophylla, Ilex myrtifolia, Magnolia grandiflora, Sabal minor, Cartrema americana, Woodwardia areolata, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Rhododendron serrulatum, Bignonia capreolata
Comment: Single-stemmed, evergreen, coniferous trees to 8-12 meters tall x 4-5 meters in diameter. Trees are generally narrowly conical and dense. Trunks range in size from 20-40 cm in diameter. The bark dark grayish-brown, irregularly furrowed and slightly ridged. Leaves of branchlets are flat and fan-shaped with flat overlapping acute to acuminate scales. Cones are globular in shape and 4--9 mm in diameter, and reddish brown.
Collector(s):