15 November 2023.
Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Locality: Little Pee Dee Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Public Lands, on South Carolina Highway 917).
Coordinates: 34.1412, -79.1953
(Map it)
Elevation: 13m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants growing in high understory shade to part-shade of a moist to relatively dry pine forest with occasional deciduous trees. The litter layer in the woodlands is very deep with longleaf pine needles, while the edges of the woodlands are much drier with exposed white sand and little to no litter layer. Slope: N/A. Aspect: N/A. The underlying geology of this area is of Pleistocene origin and characterized as Waccamaw Formation. This formation is another Carolina coastalized terrace that is deeply weathered. It is characterized by unconsolidated, coarse-detrital, soft sand limestones and loose gray to buff fine quartz sands in which occasional small quartz pebbles are present. It also includes sedimentary, carbonate, soft limestones. (Source: USGS South Carolina Geologic Map Data.) The primary soil type in this collection area is classified as Lynn Haven Series sand. The Lynn Haven Series consists of very deep, poorly and very poorly drained, moderate or moderately rapid, permeable soils in low areas and depressions in Atlantic Flatwoods and the Gulf. They formed in thick deposits of sandy marine sediments. Th Lynn Haven Series soil is approximately 2 m thick and ranges from black near the surface to yellow brown in the deepest strata. Most of the strata are comprised of fine sands that are friable with the deepest strata also including a small percentage of organic matter. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the profile. The water table is at 0-15 cm for periods of 2 to 6 months annually and within a depth 1 m for more than 6 months during most years; during extended dry periods it is below 1 meter. Depressional areas are ponded for long duration in most years. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Number of plants sampled: 10
Associated species: Pinus palustris; Lyonia lucida; Persea palustris; Acer rubrum; Vaccinium corymbosum; Ilex opaca; Ilex glabra; Ilex coriacea; Smilax laurifolia; Magnolia virginiana; Vaccinium pallidum; Aronia arbutifolia; Clethra alnifolia; Morella cerifera; Gelsemium sempervirens; Amelanchier sp.; Gordonia lasianthus; Nyssa sylvatica; Vaccinium crassifolium; Lyonia mariana; Zenobia pulverulenta; Aristida stricta; Quercus falcata; Vaccinium arboreum.
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, dioecious, deciduous upright spreading shrubs. Mature plants reach 3-4 m tall and wide. Fleshy fruits, containing 1-5 seeds, are borne terminally in clusters up to 10 fruits toward the tips of stems with compressed internodes as well as occasionally along the stem on short spurs in 1 to a few fruits. Fruits are globose and bright red when fully mature and approximately 7-10 mm in diameter. The pedicels of the fruit range from 3-7 mm long; the calyces of the fruit are completely glabrous. Additionally, the seeds of Ilex laevigata lack striations, but are clearly roughened on the surface. Leaves are simple, alternate, and entire to very finely serrulate (mostly the upper third) along the margins giving the appearance of an entire leaf margin; venation on the upper leaf surface is NOT prominent. Leaves are ovate-lanceolate, ranging in size from 7.5-10 cm long. Fall color is a distinctive very pale yellow as the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down. Plants are occasional throughout the woodlands at this site.
Collector(s):