30 October 2023.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: West side of Pennsylvania Route 487 within the boundary of Ricketts Glen State Park.
Coordinates: 41.3173, -76.3026
(Map it)
Elevation: 699m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Growing in dense thickets in well-drained habitat in a mixed evergreen and deciduous woodland on shallow to moderate slopes. Slope: 3-8%. Aspect: various. The underlying geology of this area is of Mississippian and Devonian origin and characterized as the Huntley Mountain Formation. It is comprised of greenish-gray and light-olive-gray, flaggy, fine-grained sandstone, siltstone, and a few red shale interbeds; includes lower "Pocono" plus "Oswayo" of earlier workers. This formation forms a transition between Catskill Formation and Burgoon Sandstone. (Source: USGS Pennsylvania Geologic Map Data). The primary soil type in the collection area is classified as Oquaga and Lordstown Series. The Oquaga Series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained and well drained soils formed in a thin mantle of till over sandstone, siltstone, and shale bedrock on nearly level to very steep uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Depth to bedrock ranges from 50 to 100 cm. Content of rock fragments ranges from 15 to 60 percent in surface horizons and from 25 to 70 percent in the subsoil, and 25 to 85 percent in the substratum. Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid. The Lordstown series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in till and cryoturbated material derived from siltstone and sandstone on bedrock-controlled landforms of glaciated dissected plateaus. They are nearly level to very steep soils on hillsides and hilltops in glaciated bedrock-controlled uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 90 percent. Thickness of solum and depth to bedrock ranges from 51 to 102 cm. Rock fragments are dominantly flat angular fragments and flagstones and occupy 10 to 35 percent of the volume in the Ap horizon and 20 to 60 percent in the B and C horizons. Reaction is very strongly acid through neutral in the surface layer, very strongly acid to moderately acid in the subsoil and strongly acid or moderately acid in the substratum. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey).
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Quercus rubra; Quercus coccinea; Vaccinium stamineum; Fagus grandifolia; Pinus strobus; Betula alleghaniensis; Dennstaedtia punctilobula; Acer rubrum; Tsuga canadensis; Rhododendron prinophyllum; Ilex montana; Quercus alba; Hamamelis virginiana; Vaccinium pallidum; Vaccinium corymbosum; Spiraea alba; Salix humilis.
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, evergreen, irregularly rounded to slightly upright shrubs with a dense habit. Mature plants range in size from 2 to 3 meters tall and wide. Mature stems can be contorted with scaly bark and brownish-red in color. Several fruits are borne in terminal panicles. Fruits are round, woody, and 5-loculed, containing many tiny winged seeds. Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, and generally elliptic to lanceolate. Leaves range in size from 4-12 cm long x 1.5-5 cm wide. Plants are very common. Seeds collected from 20+ plants.
Collector(s):