01 October 2023.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: Seed collected from plants growing along a two-mile stretch of Harmonyville Road on the woodland edge next to the road. [Note: latitude and longitude were collected at the location of the largest seed collection.]
Coordinates: 40.1848, -75.7815
(Map it)
Elevation: 158m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Environment description: Plants were growing in well-drained and rocky mesic-dry woodlands from part shade along the road edge to full shade in the understory of the woodlands. Slope: 2-10%. Aspect: Variable. The underlying geology of this area is of Triassic origin and characterized as the Stockton Formation. It is characterized by light-gray to buff, coarse-grained, arkosic sandstone; includes reddish-brown to grayish-purple sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. (Source: USGS Pennsylvania Geologic Map Data.) The primary soil type in the area of this collection is classified as Edgemont Channery Sandy Loam Series (8 to 25 percent slopes), extremely stony. The Edgemont Series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils formed in the weathered residuum of quartzitic rocks. They have moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. Solum thickness ranges from 50 to 10 cm. Depth to bedrock ranges from about 1.5 to 2.2 meters. Kaolinite is the dominant mineral in the clay fraction with detectable amounts of illite, vermiculite, montmorillonite, chlorite and interstratified clays. Gravel, channers, and stone size fragments of quartzite and quartz are present throughout the profile. Rock fragments range from 5 to 40 percent in the horizons of the solum and from 10 to 90 percent in the C horizon. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Number of plants sampled: 35
Associated species: Liriodendron tulipifera; Toxicodendron radicans; Fagus grandifolia; Quercus montana; Viburnum dentatum; Acer rubrum; Quercus alba; Carya glabra; Pinus strobus; Rhododendron periclymenoides; Rubus sp.; Vitis sp.; Cornus florida [as Benthamidia florida]; Viburnum prunifolium; Carex sp.; Sassafras albidum; Amelanchier sp.; Nyssa sylvatica; Quercus coccinea; Smilax rotundifolia; Celtis occidentalis; Quercus velutina; Solidago sp.; Solidago flexicaulis; Parthenocissus quinquefolia; Juniperus virginiana; Prunus serotina; Vaccinium stamineum; Kalmia latifolia; Betula lenta; Ageratina altissima; Symphyotrichum sp.; Chimaphila maculata; Medeola virginiana; Maianthemum racemosum; Sanguinaria canadensis; Hamamelis virginiana; Actaea racemosa; Desmodium sp.; Uvularia sessilifolia; Polystichum acrostichoides; Cornus alternifolia [as Swida alternifolia]; Lindera benzoin; Quercus rubra; Eurybia divaricata; Corylus americana; Dennstaedtia punctilobula; Crataegus sp.; Dioscorea villosa; Carpinus caroliniana; Collinsonia canadensis.
Comment: Description: Plants are multi-stemmed, highly rhizomatous, deciduous upright shrubs, frequently forming extensive colonies. Mature plants range in size from 0.5-2 meters tall. Fleshy fruits with a single seed are borne terminally on branches in small clusters with a few to 15 or more fruits per inflorescence. Fruits are round and dark purple-black when fully mature and approximately 5-8 mm in diameter; at maturity, the cymes turn yellow to red. Leaves are opposite and generally three-lobed; however, occasionally, some leaves area simple and unlobed. Leaf size ranges from 20-35 mm long and wide. A few leaves on some branches are developing attractive wine-red fall color. Plants are common in the understory of the upland woodlands. Approximately 2,800 to 3,300 seeds collected from about 35 plants.