10 December 2022.
Henry County, Alabama, United States
Locality: Plants growing on the west side of George H. Grimsley Highway (Alabama State Hwy. 95) in moist habitat above the south side of Abbie Creek.
Coordinates: 31.4723, -85.1638
(Map it)
Elevation: 73m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in shade of a mixed evergreen and deciduous woodland in a moist to wet but well-drained habitat with deep litter that flows down to Abbie Creek. Slope: 1% to 3%. Aspect: North. The underlying geology of this area is of Holocene origin and characterized as Alluvial, coastal and low terrace deposits. Varicolored fine to coarse quartz sand containing clay lenses and gravel in places. (Source: USGS Alabama Geologic Map Data.) The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Bonneau Loamy Fine Sand soil (0 to 2 percent slopes). The Bonneau Series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on the middle and upper coastal plain. They were formed by marine and fluviomarine deposits. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Soils are comprised of very friable loamy sand that is strongly acid in the upper 0.7 meters. The lower strata to 2 meters are comprised of sandy clay loam that is friable, sometimes with oxidized iron, and strongly acid. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Associated species: Lyonia lucida; Ilex opaca; Quercus phellos; Magnolia virginiana; Quercus michauxii; Alnus serrulata; Cartrema americana; Nyssa sylvatica; Smilax sp.; Liquidambar styraciflua; Cyrilla racemiflora; Magnolia grandiflora; Illicium floridanum; Polystichum acrostichoides; Acer rubrum; Platanus occidentalis.
Comment: Description: This species is a broadleaved-evergreen, multi-stemmed, rhizomatous colonizing shrub with spreading unbranched to sparsely branched stems. Mature fruiting plants in this colony are approximately 40-60 cm tall x several meters wide. Stems are thin, green and have a slight zig-zag pattern. Leaves are simple, evergreen, and alternate. Leaves are mostly ovate to broadly lanceolate and 3-8 cm long x 3-4.5 cm wide; leaf margins are mostly entire or occasionally finely dentate with an apex that ranges from acute to abruptly short-acuminate. Leaves are mostly glabrous. The fruits are 5-valved, flatly rounded capsules, 4.5-6 mm wide. Plants are common in the moist to wet location on this site. Cuttings collected (from an unspecified number of individuals).
Collector(s):