19 May 2023.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Blackwater State Forest: Wolfe Creek.
Coordinates: 30.8076, -86.9625
(Map it)
Elevation: 49m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Beautiful xeric pine-oak upland community. Transitions to mesic slopes and then to seepage bottom, stringer wetland community adjacent to the Wolfe Creek. Area is on a regular 2-4[-year] burn cycle. Slope: 5%. Aspect: Northwest. Elevation recorded as 161 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 15
Associated species: Diospyros virginiana; Ilex opaca; Ilex vomitoria; Pinus clausa; Pinus palustris; Quercus falcata; Quercus laevis; Quercus geminata; Quercus margarettiae; Quercus incana; Vaccinium darrowii; Vaccineum stamineum; Gaylussacia dumosa; Smilax pumila; Ceanothus microphyllus; Licania michauxii.
Comment: Low-growing, colony-forming plant; stems 12 to 24 inches, occasionally shrub to 3 feet. Leaves middle green to blue-green, deciduous and somewhat coriaceous. Undersides glaucous to glaucescent. Fruit large, juicy, dark blue berry, glaucous bloom; ripens late May to late June. Dioecious. Common. Seed collected off 15 plants. The Wolfe Creek Gaylussacia needs more evaluation. Flora of North America & Weakley's Flora of the Southeast list both G. tomentosa and G. nana as present in the Northwest [Florida] Panhandle. G. tomentosa prefers more moist soils, while G. nana prefers more xeric. Overall, G. nana has a shorter stature, smaller leaves with shorter petioles, and a more glaucous, as opposed to glaucescent, abaxial surface. This may indicate the presence of both species and possible intergradation.