03 January 2025.
Walton County, Florida, United States
Locality: Area on the south side of an unnamed sand road, about 0.54 kilometers south of Florida State Highway 98 and accessed from Walton County Highway 283 S. The collecting site is accessed by going east 0.54 kilometers on the unnamed sand road from the junction with Walton County Highway 283 S.
Coordinates: 30.3537, -86.1517
(Map it)
Elevation: 12m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Mostly found in moist to dry 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 Hurricane Series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately rapid permeable soils on broad areas that are slightly higher than the adjacent flats in the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A), the Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152A) and the Atlantic Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 153A). They formed in sandy marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Solum thickness is 1.5 meters or more. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid throughout. (Source: California Soil Resource Lab/NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions).
Number of plants sampled: 3
Associated species: Ilex glabra; Vaccinium darrowii; Gaylussacia mosieri; Itea virginica; Ilex myrtifolia; Cyrilla racemiflora; Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium [listed as T. ascendens]; Pinus clausa; Quercus incana; Quercus geminata; Quercus marilandica; Cladonia sp.; Licania michauxii.
Comment: Plants are common at this site. Seeds collected from several plants. The region is remarkable in being quite flat, with maybe 2-3' elevation changes in pure white sand from raised exceedingly dry areas dominated by Conradina canescens and Quercus laevis, to wet areas filled with Taxodium ascendens, Ilex myrtifolia (more than I have ever seen), Cliftonia monophylla, and/or Cyrilla racemiflora. The sloped areas between the extremes were dominated by Cyrilla parvifolia, which is probably the most common plant in the forest. In places recently burned, they were maybe 3' tall shoots, but in nooks that escape burning, they were tall bushes up to 5 meters or more. We saw lots of Ilex glabra, Kalmia hirsuta, and Lyonia lucida with smaller leaves than I have ever seen. Oaks were running Quercus geminata.