31 July 2015.
Washington County, Florida, United States
Locality: Along Holmes Creek 0.2 miles west-southwest of Hard Castle Landing boat ramp at hte end of Hightower Road.
Coordinates: 30.6040, -85.7688
(Map it)
Elevation: 11m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Shade to partial shade of deciduous woodlands 10 to 15 feet above the creek, surrounded by low lying swampy area.
Associated species: Magnolia pyramidata; Vaccinium arboreum; Clethra alnifolia; Callicarpa americana; Chasmanthium sessiliflorum; Vitis rotundifolia; Quercus michauxii; Magnolia grandiflora; Symplocos tinctoria; Ilex opaca; Vaccinium elliottii; Pinus glabra; Bignonia capreolata; Hamamelis virginiana; Smilax pumila; Viburnum dentatum; Aesculus pavia; Carya glabra; Mitchella repens; Liquidambar styraciflua; Quercus hemisphaerica; Smilax sp.; Rhododendron austrinum; Sabal minor.
Slope: 3.71899
Comment: Single and multi-stemmed, coarsely branched deciduous shrubs/trees, many with basal sprouts, developing a narrow to broadly spreading habit. Plants ranging in size from under 3 ft. tall to 20 feet tall. Many mature plants have dead or dying stems and are in various states of rejuvenation. This site may have limited accessibility if water levels are high along the creek. It's interesting to note that while we surveyed for Magnolia ashei, we could not find any evidence of young seedlings. This seems to be at the core of decline in the populations. If the plants produce viable seed, there is almost certainly a problem with changing site conditions for the germination of seedlings.
Collector(s):