14 February 2023.
Orange County, Florida, United States
Locality: Plants growing in woodlands of Wekiwa Springs State Park along trails accessed from the Sand Lake parking lot at the end of Palmetto Avenue. From the parking lot, take the main trail south for about 18 meters and immediately take a cut-through trail on the left to the location of this population.
Coordinates: 28.7240, -81.4721
(Map it)
Elevation: 10m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants were growing in shade to part-shade of moist mesic hammocks of lowland transitional woodlands eventually becoming wetland habitats that are comprised primarily of evergreen plants with fewer deciduous plants. The underlying geology of this area is of Pliocene origin and characterized as the Cypresshead Formation. The Cypresshead Formation named by Huddlestun (1988), is composed of siliciclastics and occurs only in the peninsula and eastern Georgia. It is at or near the surface from northern Nassau County southward to Highlands County forming the peninsular highlands. It appears that the Cypresshead Formation occurs in the subsurface southward from the outcrop region and similar sediments, the Long Key Formation, underlie the Florida Keys. The Cypresshead Formation is a shallow marine, near shore deposit equivalent to the Citronelle Formation deltaic sediments and the Miccosukee Formation prodeltaic sediments. The Cypresshead Formation consists of reddish brown to reddish orange, unconsolidated to poorly consolidated, fine to very coarse grained, clean to clayey sands. Cross bedded sands are common within the formation. Discoid quartzite pebbles and mica are often present. Clay beds are scattered and not areally extensive. In general, the Cypresshead Formation in exposure occurs above 100 feet (30 meters) above mean sea level (msl). Original fossil material is not present in the sediments although poorly preserved molds and casts of mollusks and burrow structures are occasionally present. The presence of these fossil "ghosts" and trace fossils documents marine influence on deposition of the Cypresshead sediments. The permeable sands of the Cypresshead Formation form part of the surficial aquifer system.
Number of plants sampled: 10
Associated species: Illicium parviflorum, Carex sp., Persea palustris, Gordonia lasianthus, Serenoa repens, Quercus virginiana, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Smilax pumila, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Woodwardia areolata, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Lyonia ligustrina, Vaccinium sp., Ilex glabra, Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Pteridium aquilinum, Solidago sp., Morella cerifera, Lyonia ferruginea, Quercus nigra, Diospyros virginiana, Arundinaria gigantea, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus palustris, Carpinus caroliniana, Hypericum sp., Onoclea sensibilis, Sabal palmetto, Drosera capillaris, Sabal minor
Comment: Plants growing in this colony are broadleaved evergreen, multi-stemmed, medium to large shrubs. Plants range in size from 2-5 m tall x 2-7 m wide with an upright arching to broadly arching-pendulous habit. Leaves are alternate, simple, lustrous green above and dull beneath with a lanceolate to broadly ovate shape that is often wider on the lower third; leaf size is 3.5-9 cm long x 1.9-4 cm wide. The leaf base varies from narrowly cuneate to rounded with smooth to occasionally serrate margins and a long acuminate apex. Leaves are often borne in a flat plane and angled slightly toward the distal end of the stem. At maturity, the dark brown five-valved woody capsules are globe-shaped, 3.5-6 mm in diameter, and borne axillary in many-fruited clusters.
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