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: 34.1399, -79.1969
(Map it)
Elevation: 14m.
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 woodland 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: 15
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; Ilex laevigata; Aristida stricta; Quercus falcata; Vaccinium arboreum.
Comment: This species is a multi-stemmed, deciduous, highly rhizomatous low growing shrub, forming large masses of sparsely branched ascending shoots. Mature fruiting plants are approximately 0.5-1.5 m tall x 1-2 m wide. Leaves are simple, alternate, and ovate with smooth margins and a rounded to acute tip; leaves are approximately 2-8 cm long x 0.5-2.5 cm wide. The underside of the leaves is green and glaucous without any white glaucous bloom. Foliage is in peak fall color ranging from bright yellow to dark wine red and occasionally tints of purple. Fruits are 5-valved capsules borne terminally and sub-terminally in clusters; capsules are round, 3.2-5 mm long x 4.8-6.5 mm wide. Plants are common throughout the woodlands at this site.
Collector(s):