14 December 2023.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Upper Escambia River.
Coordinates: 30.8787, -87.2912
(Map it)
Elevation: 9m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Hammock, bench-like river floodplain/bottomland. Slope: flat. Aspect: East-southeast. Elevation: 30 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 8
Associated species: Quercus lyrata; Quercus laurifolia; Carya aquatica; Nyssa aquatica; Viburnum dentatum; Sabal minor; Sideroxylon thornei.
Comment: Possumhaw is an upright deciduous shrub or small tree with a spreading, rounded crown, 7-15' tall in cultivation (to 30' in the wild). Bark is gray-brown, smooth, blotchy, with occasional warts. Leaves 2-3” long, glossy, dark green, alternate, simple, obovate- elliptic, narrow, margins crenate; turning a dull yellow in fall. Dioecious; flowers whitish, non-showy, April-May. Fruits pea size orangish-red, red, occasionally golden yellow; ripen September and persist throughout the winter until mid-March when new growth begins. Common species in the bottomland flood plain. Fruit collected off of 8 plants. NOTE: Found several plants of the rare Sideroxylon thornei.
Collector(s):