13 November 2023.
Scotland County, North Carolina, United States
Locality: Sandhills Game Land: north side of Pulpwood Road approximately 0.11 km southwest of the junction with Tyner Road.
Coordinates: 34.9585, -79.4862
(Map it)
Elevation: 101m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants growing in moist-mesic to seasonally saturated soils in shade to part-shade of a spring fed wetland that is a mixed evergreen and deciduous woodland habitat. Slope: 0 to 5 percent. Aspect: Various. The underlying geology of this area is of Tertiary origin and characterized as Pinehurst Formation. It is comprised of sand that is medium- to coarse-grained, cross-bedding and rhythmic bands of clayey sand common, unconsolidated. (Source: USGS North Carolina Geologic Map Data.) The primary soil type in the area of this collection is classified as Pelion loamy sand, 6 to 10 percent slopes. Pelion Series soils are very deep, moderately well-drained soils with moderately slow to slow permeability. The upper 30 cm of the strata is sandy loam to sandy clay loam ranging from grayish brown to reddish yellow. This stratum has a weak fine granular structure and is very friable. It contains many fine roots and is moderately acid. Deeper strata to 2 m range from yellow to yellowish red sandy clay, often with masses of oxidized iron and few fine prominent light gray iron depletions; they are strongly acid. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Number of plants sampled: 5
Associated species: Pinus palustris; Pinus taeda; Persea palustris; Cyrilla racemiflora; Vaccinium corymbosum; Aronia arbutifolia; Smilax sp.; Smilax laurifolia; Liriodendron sp.; Salix sp.; Clethra alnifolia; Osmundastrum cinnamomeum; Lyonia ligustrina; Ilex glabra; Oxydendrum arboreum; Toxicodendron vernix; Fothergilla gardenii; Hexastylis sp.; Magnolia virginiana; Morella caroliniensis; Melanthium virginicum; Vaccinium sp.; Amelanchier canadensis; Pteridium aquilinum; Sphagnum sp.; Alnus serrulata; Viburnum nudum; Acer rubrum; Ilex coriacea; Rhexia alifanus; Gentiana saponaria; Zenobia pulverulenta; Vitis sp.; Drosera sp.; Arundinaria tecta; Ilex laevigata.
Comment: This species is a multi-stemmed, clumping broadleaved evergreen shrub with an upright arching-spreading habit. Mature plants ranged from 1.5-2.5 m tall x 1-2 m wide. Leaves are evergreen, alternate, and simple, ranging from narrowly elliptic to almost ovate to obovate, 2.5-8 cm long x 1-3 cm wide. Leaves are rigidly coriaceous with a cuneate to rounded base; margins are entire, usually revolute. The leaf apex is acuminate to acute, and rarely rounded. The leaf surfaces have scattered glandular hairs, but are otherwise glabrous or hairy on midvein on the undersides of the leaves. Fruit are woody capsules borne on fascicles sub-terminally on previous year’s growth. The capsules are ovoid to ovoid-globose, 3-5 mm in diameter with the apex slightly constricted; they can be glabrous or short-headed-hairy. Capsules split longitudinally with sutures usually remaining attached to adjacent valve. Plants are found commonly along the edges and the interior of the woodlands associated with the spring fed wetland.
Collector(s):