12 November 2024.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park: collected along trail from the parking lot. The property is accessed from a parking area located on Dickerson City Road.
Coordinates: 30.4847, -87.0711
(Map it)
Elevation: 5m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Mostly found in moist flatwoods in mixed evergreen and deciduous forest. Slope: N/A. Aspect: Various. The underlying geology of this area is characterized as undifferentiated Quaternary Sediments. Much of Florida's surface is covered by a varying thickness of undifferentiated sediments consisting of siliciclastics, organics and freshwater carbonates. Where these sediments exceed 6.1 meters thick, they were mapped as discrete units. In an effort to subdivide the undifferentiated sediments, those sediments occurring in flood plains were mapped as alluvial and flood plain deposits (Qal). Sediments showing surficial expression of beach ridges and dunes were mapped separately (Qbd) as were the sediments composing Trail Ridge (Qtr). Terrace sands were not mapped (refer to Healy [1975] for a discussion of the terraces in Florida). The subdivisions of the Undifferentiated Quaternary Sediments (Qu) are not lithostratigraphic units but are utilized in order to facilitate a better understanding of the State's geology. The siliciclastics are light gray, tan, brown to black, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, clean to clayey, silty, unfossiliferous, variably organic-bearing sands to blue green to olive green, poorly to moderately consolidated, sandy, silty clays. Gravel is occasionally present in the panhandle. Organics occur as plant debris, roots, disseminated organic matrix and beds of peat. Freshwater carbonates, often referred to as marls in the literature, are scattered over much of the State. In southern Florida, freshwater carbonates are nearly ubiquitous in the Everglades. These sediments are buff colored to tan, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, fossiliferous carbonate muds. Sand, silt and clay may be present in limited quantities. These carbonates often contain organics. The dominant fossils in the freshwater carbonates are mollusks. (Source: USGS Florida Geologic Map Data). The Goldhead Series consists of poorly drained and very poorly drained soils on broad areas of the flatwoods and in depressions. They formed in thick beds of stratified unconsolidated loamy and sandy marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The solum thickness ranges from 35 to greater than 60 inches. Soil reaction ranges from very strongly acid to mildly alkaline in the A and E horizons, and very strongly acid to moderately alkaline in the B and C horizons. (Source: California Soil Resource Lab/NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions).
Number of plants sampled: 5
Associated species: Smilax laurifolia; Ilex glabra; Ilex coriacea; Pinus palustris; Morella cerifera; Sarracenia flava; Lachnanthes caroliniana; Hypericum sp.; Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium (listed as T. ascendens); Dichanthelium sp.; Xyris sp.; Ilex vomitoria; Rhexia alifanus; Magnolia virginiana; Rhynchospora sp.; Osmunda regalis; Polygala ramosa; Aristida sp.
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, clumping, broadleaved evergreen shrubs to small trees with an upright spreading to rounded habit. Mature plants range in size from 2.5-3.5 meters tall x 2-4 meters wide. Leaves are thick, shiny, and evergreen ranging from oblong, oblanceolate to lanceolate; they are generally 1.5 to 4 cm long with entire margins or sometimes a few sharp teeth above the middle. Fruits are bright red, round berries that are somewhat dull; they range from 5-8 mm diameter and are borne on a short pedicel.