19 March 2025.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Yellow River near State Route 87 (SR87). This plant was accessed by boat and growing on the south side of the Yellow River 0.2 kilometers west-southwest of the FL State Highway 87 Bridge. The launch point to reach this plant was the Yellow River Boat Launch on SR87 (30° 34.168', 86° -55.398').
Coordinates: 30.5703, -86.9265
(Map it)
Elevation: 2m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: This plant was growing in part shade, just above the typical water level leaning out over the edge of the Yellow River in a mixed deciduous and evergreen, occasionally flooded habitat. The location clearly gives the plant ample access to moisture regardless of season. Elevation as reported: 1.5 meters. 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. 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 primarily as a Bibb-Kinston Series association; with other minor contributions from Rutlege, Pamlico, Johns, Escambia and Pactolus Series not described here. 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: 1
Associated species: Lyonia lucida; Smilax pumila; Taxodium distichum; Ilex opaca; Ilex cassine; Ilex myrtifolia; Quercus laurifolia; Ilex verticillata; Cartrema americana; Betula nigra; Bignonia capreolata; Cliftonia monophylla; Rhododendron canescens; Ilex vomitoria; Smilax laurifolia; Chamaecyparis thyoides; Morella cerifera; Rhododendron austrinum (Yellow River Pink); Vaccinium sp.; Arundinaria gigantea; Nyssa aquatica; Acer rubrum var. drummondii; Gordonia lasianthus; Viburnum dentatum; Magnolia virginiana; Gelsemium rankinii; Hypericum sp.; Cyrilla racemiflora; Pinus serotina; Alnus serrulata; Smilax sp.; Clethra alnifolia; Fraxinus caroliniana; Itea virginica; Osmundastrum cinnamomeum; Osmunda regalis; Vaccinium elliottii; Crataegus marshallii.
Comment: 2024 fruits persisting on single individual. No additional fruits were seen on Persea palustris, a common plant, during our week in the field. The species is scattered and infrequent on the river.
Collector(s):