21 November 2023.
Smith County, Texas, United States
Locality: Interstate 20, westbound, approximately 2.2 miles west of FM (farm-to-market road) 2015 and 0.8 miles east of FM 14.
Coordinates: 32.4525, -95.2696
(Map it)
Elevation: 10m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Environment description: Xeric shortleaf pine-post oak-blackjack oak uplands. Slope: flat. Aspect: West. Elevation: 32 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 6
Associated species: Quercus stellata; Quercus marilandica; Quercus virginiana; Pinus echinata; Ilex vomitoria; Callicarpa americana; Viburnum rufidulum; Sassafras albidum; Yucca filamentosa.
Comment: Sparkleberry is a deciduous to tardily deciduous shrub to small tree, single or multi-trunked, 10-20’ tall, upright, with a spreading to rounded crown. Found in xeric to mesic woods. Bark reddish-brown, shredding-exfoliating, often with very ornamental patches of grays, browns, reds, oranges. Leaves alternate, simple, leathery, 1-3", ovate, obovate; upper surfaces medium to dark green, glabrous with a slight shine; undersides pale green, glabrous to finely pubescent along the central veins; margins entire to very finely toothed; excellent red, crimson, burgundy fall color. Flowers white, single racemes, racemes single or in clusters of 2-5, 2" long, late spring-early summer. Fruit are persistent green berries, eventually turning black in the fall; mealy, gritty, not juicy. Seeds collected from 6 plants. Species is common.
Collector(s):