08 December 2023.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Along Gin/Camp Road at the bridge over Thomas Creek on the east side of the road.
Coordinates: 30.7502, -87.2349
(Map it)
Elevation: 21m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Growing in shade of the moist to wet habitat along Thomas Creek. Plants receive regular moisture and are occasionally flooded in this habitat. Slope: N/A. Aspect: N/A. The underlying geology of this area is the Citronelle Formation of Pliocene origin and consists of gray to orange, often mottled, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, very fine to very coarse, poorly sorted, clean to clayey sands. It contains significant amounts of clay, silt and gravel which may occur as beds and lenses and may vary considerably over short distances. Limonite nodules and limonite-cemented beds are common. (Source: USGS Florida Geologic Map Data.) The surface soil profile of this area is primarily Bibb-Kinston series association. Bibb series soils are coarse-loamy, sandy, acid soils that are poorly drained. They are soils of flood plains and streams subject to frequent flooding. These are found in association with Kinston series soils that are fine-loamy, sandy, acid soils of flood plains and stream subject to frequent flooding. The Bibb-Kinston association ranges from 1-1.5 meters thick and is strongly acid. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Number of plants sampled: 15
Associated species: Clethra alnifolia; Cyrilla racemiflora; Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium [originally listed as T. ascendens]; Cliftonia monophylla; Lyonia lucida; Rubus sp.; Toxicodendron radicans; Quercus laurifolia; Ilex coriacea; Acer rubrum; Ilex vomitoria; Vaccinium elliottii; Magnolia virginiana; Rhododendron viscosum Serrulatum Group [originally listed as R. serrulatum]; Callicarpa americana; Wisteria frutescens; Nyssa biflora; Viburnum nitidum; Quercus nigra; Liriodendron sp. (new species--pointed central lobe); Ilex opaca; Chamaecyparis thyoides; Magnolia grandiflora; Oxydendrum arboreum; Eutrochium fistulosum; Smilax sp.; Pinguicula sp.; Arundinaria tecta; Smilax laurifolia.
Comment: This species is a broadleaved evergreen, multi-stemmed, highly rhizomatous colonizing shrub with spreading unbranched to sparsely branched stems. Mature fruiting plants in this colony are approximately 40-60 cm tall x several meters wide. Stems are thin, green and have a slight zig-zag pattern. Leaves are simple, evergreen, alternate. Leaves are mostly ovate to broadly lanceolate and 3-8 cm long x 3-4.5 cm wide; leaf margins are mostly entire or occasionally finely dentate with an apex that ranges from acute to abruptly short-acuminate. Leaves are mostly glabrous. The fruits are 5-valved, flatly rounded capsules, 4.5-6 mm wide. Plants are common along the edges of Thomas Creek and associated wetland. Seeds collected from 15 plants.
Collector(s):