20 September 2024.
Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: Berks and Schuylkill Counties: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
Coordinates: 40.6416, -75.9912
(Map it)
Elevation: 418m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing from shade to full sun on a dry-mesic to very dry, well-drained upland/montane habitat characterized by an upland mixed deciduous and evergreen forest that is very rocky. All the plants found in this habitat go through periods of drought during the growing season due to the limited litter/soil layer in which moisture can be held. Elevation: 405 to 430 meters. Slope: 5 to 25 percent. Aspect: various. Geology: The underlying geology of this area is of Silurian origin and comprised of Shawangunk Formation. This formation is primarily light- to dark-gray, fine- to very coarse-grained sandstone and conglomerate containing thin shale interbeds. (Source: USGS Pennsylvania Geologic Map Data). Soils: The surface soil profile of this area is characterized as the Hazleton Series which consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils formed in residuum of acid gray, brown or red sandstone on uplands. The matrix includes a considerable accumulation of thin, flat, coarse fragments of sandstone, limestone, or schist with diameters up to 15 cm. Slope ranges from 0-80%. Permeability is moderately rapid to rapid. (Source: USDA-NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions). EPA Ecoregion (Level III): Ridge and Valley (67). EPA Ecoregion (Level IV): Northern Sandstone Ridges (67c).
Number of plants sampled: 10
Associated species: Rhododendron maximum; Hamamelis virginiana; Acer rubrum; Betula lenta; Parthenocissus quinquefolia; Prunus serotina; Polypodium virginianum; Betula alleghaniensis; Rubus sp.; Quercus rubra; Solidago sp.; Solidago flexicaulis; Sassafras albidum; Toxicodendron radicans; Aralia nudicaulis; Pinus strobus; Nyssa sylvatica; Acer pensylvanicum; Vaccinium stamineum; Vaccinium sp.; Kalmia latifolia; Quercus montana; Juniperus virginiana; Tsuga canadensis; Viburnum acerifolium; Amelanchier sp.; Sorbus americana; Persicaria pensylvanica; Carex sp.; Cornus florida; Castanea dentata; Ilex mucronata; Quercus coccinea; Sambucus canadensis; Quercus prinoides; Gaylussacia baccata; Dryopteris marginalis; Athyrium filix-femina.
Comment: Plants are deciduous, multi-stemmed shrubs to small trees, with an upright-spreading, irregularly rounded habit. Mature plants range in size from 3-4.5 meters tall x 2-3.5 meters wide. Leaves are alternate, simple, and deciduous with an elliptic to ovate shape. Leaves are glabrous and bright green above, have shallow serrations along the margins, and are generally thin with prominent veins. Leaves range in size from 5-14 cm long x 1.5-5 cm wide. Fruits are a bright red, round, fleshy and soft drupe at maturity, 1.0-1.5 cm in diameter. They are borne in few to many fruits per cluster on very short peduncles at the nodes. Fruits ripen while leaves are still on the plants. Unlike some other hollies, this species ripens and drops within a few weeks. This species is common, but scattered, throughout the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Since there are both male and female plants, it sometimes isn’t obvious how frequently this plant occurs, since male plants don’t stand out. Seed collected from approximately 10 plants; approximately 125 fruits collected. Note: Despite only being 10 days later than previous collections, fruits were almost completely gone, most likely due to extended drought.
Collector(s):