12 December 2022.
Monroe County, Alabama, United States
Locality: Plants growing on both sides of River Ridge Road accessed from Alabama State Hwy 41 via Tin Cup Alley Road. Common at this site
Coordinates: 31.7382, -87.3582
(Map it)
Elevation: 132m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in part-shade to full sun on top of a very exposed ridge top under dry conditions.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is of Eocene origin and characterized as Claiborne Group; Gosport Sand and Lisbon Formation Undifferentiated in part. Greenish-gray calcareous, glauconitic, fossiliferous clayey sand; marl; carbonaceous sand; carbonaceous silty clay; and coarse glauconitic, fossiliferous, quartz sand.
Source: USGS Alabama Geological Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/state.php?state=AL)
The primary soil types in the collection area are classified as Saffell Very Gravelly Sandy Loam soil (5 to 8 percent slopes). The Saffell Series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy and gravelly marine sediments of the Tertiary Age and have acid reaction. These soils are found on the upper portion of the bluffs along the Alabama River.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Pinus taeda, Smilax pumila, Smilax sp., Ilex vomitoria, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium sp., Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Quercus falcata, Pinus palustris, Acer rubrum, Vaccinium arboreum, Solidago sp., Smilax bona-nox, Nyssa sylvatica, Myrica cerifera, Rhus glabra, Vitis sp.
Comment: Plants are multi-stemmed, broadleaved evergreen, irregularly rounded shrubs with a dense habit. Mature plants range in size from 1.8 to 3.0 meters tall and wide. Several fruits are borne per terminal panicle. Fruits are round, woody, and 5-loculed capsules containing many tiny seeds. Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, and generally elliptic to broadly lanceolate. Leaves range in size from 4-10 cm long x 2-4.5 cm wide.
Collector(s):