21 November 2024.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Along the west/north side of the Yellow River about 0.33 kilometers (as the crow flies) upstream from the channel that leads the Fisher Old Mill Road Boat Ramp. This site was accessed by boat.
Coordinates: 30.6287, -86.8075
(Map it)
Elevation: 4m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are found growing primarily in permanently saturated to submersed conditions along the edge of the Yellow River in part shade. The riverine habitat is comprised of a wide array of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, and perennial plant species. Most of the plants along the river are adapted to acidic conditions and, while the aquatic habitat is generally fresh water, there is occasionally tidal or hurricane-caused saltwater intrusions. Slope: 0 percent. Aspect: East-southeast. The underlying geology of this area is characterized as Alluvium from 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 20 feet (6.1 meters) thick, they were mapped as discrete units. 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 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 soils of this are characterized as Bibb-Kinston Series association. The Bibb Series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately permeable soils on flood plains of streams in the Southern Coastal Plain (133A) Major Land Resource Area. They formed in stratified loamy and sandy alluvium that are commonly and frequently flooded and water runs off the surface very slowly. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout. Content of mica flakes ranges from none to common. Content of rounded gravel typically ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout, but may range to 50 percent in thin strata below a depth of 1 meter. Buried soil horizons, present in many pedons have the same range in color and texture as the surface horizon which has iron and organic matter concentrations in shades of brown and yellow ranging from none to common. Texture is sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or silt loam. The Kinston Series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately permeable soils found on flood plains. They were formed in alluvial depositions. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to very strongly acid. Typical texture across the pedons is loamy, gravelly loam, sandy loam, and clay loam with dark concretions often present. (Source: California Soil Resource Lab/NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions).
Number of plants sampled: 2
Associated species: Chamaecyparis thyoides; Morella cerifera; Ilex myrtifolia; Ilex cassine; Magnolia virginiana; Ilex sp. (putative hybrid: I. opaca x I. myrtifolia); Taxodium distichum; Nyssa biflora; Cephalanthus occidentalis; Bignonia capreolata; Alnus serrulata; Quercus laurifolia; Quercus lyrata; Pinus glabra; Ilex opaca; Itea virginica; Gelsemium rankinii; Acer rubrum; Ilex vomitoria; Vaccinium elliottii; Cyrilla racemiflora; Clethra alnifolia; Crinum americanum; Amorpha fruticosa; Nyssa aquatica; Eubotrys racemosa; Liquidambar styraciflua; Clematis sp.; Rhododendron austrinum (“Yellow River Pink Austrinum”); Hypericum fasciculatum; Cornus foemina (listed as Swida foemina); Ilex decidua; Fraxinus caroliniana; Nuphar advena; Eriocaulon decangulare; Carpinus caroliniana; Toxicodendron radicans; Salix caroliniana; Osmunda regalis; Vaccinium sp.; Viburnum dentatum var. scabrellum (listed as V. scabrellum); Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium (listed as T. ascendens); Ilex coriacea; Rhododendron viscosum Serrulatum Group (listed as R. serrulatum); Magnolia grandiflora; Smilax walteri; Smilax laurifolia; Quercus hemisphaerica; Cliftonia monophylla; Persea palustris; Wisteria frutescens; Vitis rotundifolia (listed as Muscadinia rotundifolia); Zizania aquatica; Pontederia cordata; Sagittaria latifolia.
Comment: This species is a multi-stemmed, dioecious, deciduous shrub to small tree, 1-4 meters tall. Bark is light grey to almost blackish with knobby lenticels. Stems are olive-brown to purplish-brown toward the terminal growth, and lenticelled. Fruits are very showy from late summer-early fall and persist into winter. The fruits are globose and bright red when fully mature and approximately 5-8 mm in diameter, forming clusters that have the appearance of twisting along the stem. Leaves are alternate, simple, 4.5-10 cm long, and oblong to oblanceolate with serrate margins. Leaf veins are prominently impressed, giving an almost quilted appearance; they are sparsely pubescent beneath. Foliage is a beautiful soft yellow to gold yellow fall color. Occasional occurrence. Seed collected from two plants.