05 November 2021.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: Plants growing in woodlands above a small unnamed creek that dumps into the Middle Branch White Clay Creek in Goddard Park, West Grove Pennsylvania, off of Wickerton Road, Chester County.
Coordinates: 39.8046, -75.8289
(Map it)
Elevation: 103m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants growing in a mesic, well-drained habitat of deciduous woodlands, for the most part, above the riparian zone that drains toward a small unnamed creek that feeds into the Middle Branch White Clay Creek. Plants are growing in high understory shade with very little direct sun during most of the day. The remnant woodlands exist mostly along the steep slopes, wetlands and seeps of seasonal and year-round creeks flowing into the Middle Branch White Clay Creek. The woodlands are bordered by numerous housing developments and land converted to meadows; hence there is significant first order edge that is heavily impacted by invasive plant intrusion. Soils: Soils are classified as Glenelg silt loam, 8 to 15% slopes (GgC); this series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in residuum weathered from micaceous schist on uplands of the Blue Ridge and the Northern Piedmont. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the subsoil and moderately high to high in the substratum. This upper horizon of this soil is undifferentiated, mostly poorly drained sandy bottomland soils intermingled with decomposing organic litter and eroded silts and clays due to erosion. Slope: 8 to 15% Aspect: West.
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Fagus grandifolia; Lindera benzoin; Carya glabra; Liriodendron tulipifera; Viburnum dentatum; Cornus alternifolia; Maianthemum racemosum; Viburnum prunifolium; Carex pensylvanica; Actaea racemosa; Carpinus caroliniana; Juglans nigra; Smilax glabra; Polystichum acrostichoides; Toxicodendron radicans; Acer rubrum; Smilax rotundifolia; Asarum canadense; Collinsonia canadensis; Fraxinus americana; Vitis riparia; Ilex verticillata; Quercus rubra; Phytolacca americana; Nyssa sylvatica; Rubus hispidus; Eurybia divaricata; Ageratina altissima; Boehmeria cylindrica; Epifagus virginiana; Ulmus americana; Penthorum sedoides; Circaea canadensis; Echinocystis lobata; Sanguinaria canadensis; Quercus velutina; Malus angustifolia; Vitis vulpina; Betula lenta; Alliaria petiolata; Lonicera japonica; Callicarpa dichotoma; Acer platanoides; Euonymus alata; Rosa multiflora; Berberis thunbergia; Pyrus calleryana; Celastrus orbiculatus; Prunus avium; Paulownia tomentosa; Rubus phoenicolasius; Morus alba; Duchesnia indica; Elaeagnus umbellata; Lonicera maackii; Microstegium vimineum.
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, deciduous upright suckering shrubs, frequently forming extensive colonies; however, many plants are suppressed due to deer browsing. Mature plants range in size from 1-1.5 meters tall. Fleshy fruits with a single seed are borne terminally on branches in small clusters with 1-10 fruits per inflorescence. Fruits are round and dark purple-black when fully mature and approximately 5-8 mm in diameter; at maturity, the cymes turn yellow to red. Leaves are opposite and primarily three-lobed; however, some leaves area also simple and unlobed. Leaf size ranges from 20-35 mm long and wide.
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