10 September 2023.
Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Locality: Lower Yellow River.
Coordinates: 30.6287, -86.8075
(Map it)
Elevation: 3m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Beautiful riverine system. Elevation: 13 feet. Slope: 0 (none). Aspect: Northwest.
Number of plants sampled: 2
Associated species: Chamaecyparis thyoides; Morella cerifera; Ilex myrtiolia; Magnolia virginiana; Taxodium distichum; Nyssa biflora; Cephalanthus occidentalis; Bignonia capreolata; Alnus serrulata; Quercus laurifolia; Pinus glabra; Ilex opaca; Itea virginica; Gelsemium rankinii; Acer rubrum; Ilex vomitoria; Vaccinium elliottii; Cyrilla racemiflora; Clethra alnifolia; Crinum americanum; Amorpha fruticosa.
Comment: Winterberry is a small multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub to small tree, 3 to 15 feet tall. Bark is grey to blackish with knobby lenticels. Stems olive-brown to purplish-brown, also lenticelled; buds grey to grey-brown. Flowers, inconspicuous, greenish-white, axillary, late spring-early summer. Dioecious. Fruit, very showy, late summer-early fall, but persists into winter, hence the common name. The pea-sized, red berries form clusters and have the appearance of twisting along the stem. Leaves, 1.5-4 inches long, alternate, oblong, oblanceolate with serrate margins. Leaf veins impressed, giving an almost quilted look, pubescent beneath. Beautiful soft yellow to gold yellow fall color. Common on Yellow River. Seed collected off 2 plants.
Collector(s):