25 May 2022.
Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Locality: Plants growing in open woodlands and part shade along unnamed Elkton State Forest gravel road over a distance of approximately 5 kilometers labelled as the address of 717 Irishtown Rd, North East, MD 21901.
Coordinates: 39.5809, -75.9151
(Map it)
Elevation: 73m.
Habitat: Forest / woodland
Environment description: Plants are found regularly but scattered along the unnamed gravel road as well as in open understory of the upland woodlands. Plants growing in a mesic to dry, well-drained habitat of mixed deciduous and evergreen woodlands comprised primarily of acid-loving plants. Plants are growing in part shade and open understory shade. The soils in the collection area are generally described as a complex series of fluviomarine deposits. The soils range from a thin loam layer at the surface to varying levels of loam to sandy loam and/or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam strata, depending upon geographical location (ie. Hillslope summits, slopes, footslopes, swales, etc.). The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Russett-Christiana-Hambrook Complex and/or Sassafras and Croom Soils; though, others may intersect and overlay in specific areas.
Number of plants sampled: 30
Associated species: Sassafras albidum, Quercus marilandica, Fagus grandifolia, Gaylussacia baccata, Gaylussacia frondosa, Pinus virginiana, Populus grandidentata, Acer rubrum, Quercus phellos, Castanea pumila, Castanea dentata, Quercus montana, Viola primulifolia, Nyssa sylvatica, Diospyros virginiana, Vaccinium stamineum, Quercus stellata, Liquidambar styraciflua, Kalmia latifolia, Quercus velutina, Prunus serotina, Lyonia ligustrina, Vaccinium corymbosum, Toxicodendron radicans, Quercus alba, Rhododendron periclymenoides, Solidago sp., Aronia arbutifolia, Eubortrys racemosa, Pteridium aquilinum, Smilax sp., Hypericum hypericoides, Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Mediola virginiana, Mitchella repens, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Rubus sp., Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum, Aralia nudicaulis, Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus falcata, Osmundastrum cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis, Clethra alnifolia, Baptisia tinctoria, Quercus coccinea, Dichanthelium sp., Carex sp., Panicum virginicum, Panicum sp., Viola macloskeyi subsp. pallens
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, deciduous, rounded to slightly upright shrubs with a tendency toward lateral branching. Mature stems are smooth and silvery gray. Mature plants range in size from 2-3.5 meters tall. Dark red to purple fleshy fruits with several small seeds are borne terminally on branches in clusters with 5-10 fruits per inflorescence. Fruits are round and red to dark purple when fully mature and approximately 4-7 mm in diameter. Leaves are alternate, simple, and generally ovate with numerous small teeth on the leaf margins; leaf color is generally a bluish to grayish-green. Leaf size ranges from 35-45 mm long and 20-30 mm wide. Leaves are hairy and folded at the mid-rib at emergence, becoming mostly glabrous except on the midrib at maturity.
Collector(s):