16 December 2022.
Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States
Locality: Plants growing in mixed evergreen and deciduous woods on the east side of Ip Canal Road approximately 0.33 kilometers south of Pleasant Hill Drive (Georgetown County Road 251). Frequent at this location.
Coordinates: 33.6323, -79.2583
(Map it)
Elevation: 8m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in part-shade to shade of a dry to periodically moist mesic woodland. Given some of the plant associates, there may be an impermeable subsurface soil layer to add moisture availability.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is of Pleistocene origin and characterized as Socastee Formation. This is a low coastal formation in the Carolinas like Penholoway but younger and lower in altitude. The Socastee Formation lies seaward of the Penholoway and Canepatch Formations and is the next younger surficial unit. It is exposed in a belt approximately 25 km wide at elevations between 9 and 15 m above sea level. It is described as variegated quartzose sands, argillaceous sands, and clays, 5 m thick at the type section near Socastee Swamp. Unconformably overlies Canepatch Formation; unconformably underlies Waiter Island Formation and Ocean Forest Peat.
Source: USGS Texas Geologic Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=SCQso%3B1)
The primary soil type in the collection area is classified as Centenary Fine Sand. The Centenary Fine Sand Series consists of deep, well drained or somewhat excessively drained single-grained sand that is loose and moderately acid. The upper layer ranges from 7.5cm to 25cm thick. Deeper layers vary in percentage of single-grained sands and clay.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Lyonia lucida, Vaccinium crassifolium, Cladonia, Quercus virginiana, Pinus taeda, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium sp., Ilex glabra, Ilex coriacea, Quercus hemisphaerica, Acer rubrum, Morella cerifera, Amsonia ciliata, Quercus alba, Quercus nigra, Magnolia grandiflora, Clethra alnifolia
Comment: This species is short rhizomatous, spreading, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub, forming an upright-spreading habit in maturity. At this site, plants range in size from approximately 0.5-1 meters tall x 0.5-1.5 meters wide. Plants are completely dormant and without leaves. Fruits are brown upright dehiscent capsule borne terminally in clusters. Fruits are approximately 15-25 mm long x 5-8 mm wide; both the fruiting pedicels and capsules are densely stipitate glandular hairy. This collection is of great interest botanically and horticulturally. This species is found infrequently throughout its range and deserves inclusion more comprehensively in long-term preservation efforts. Furthermore, it is a low-growing and rhizomatous-colonizing shrub. Its foliage during the growing season can be quite attractive with blue to grayish green upper leaf surface and white glaucous underside. It flowers in April to May and has very attractive white to pale blush pink flowers that are highly fragrant. In addition, numerous plants in cultivation are most likely hybrids and the species is not commonly grown.
Collector(s):