07 December 2022.
Colleton County, South Carolina, United States
Locality: Plants growing along the margin of a small stream and associated wetland on the north side of Paradise Rd. (State Rd. S-15-403).
Coordinates: 32.8390, -80.8101
(Map it)
Elevation: 27m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing in part-shade to shade of a moist mesic woodland habitat along a small wetland associated with Sandy Run. Plants are located in an area that occasionally floods, but is not permanently wet. Slope: N/A. Aspect: N/A. The underlying geology of this area is of Holocene origin and characterized as Alluvial, coastal and low terrace deposits. Varicolored fine to coarse quartz sand containing clay lenses and gravel in places. (Source: USGS Alabama Geologic Map Data.) The underlying geology of this area is of Pliocene origin and characterized as Bear Bluff Formation. This formation is considered one of the older coastal terrace sequences in the Carolinas. Bear Bluff Formation consists of gray to cream, fossiliferous, coarse-grained calcareous sand, and sandy limestone. It is typically 3-4 meters thick. (Source: USGS South Carolina Geologic Map Data.) The primary soil type in the collection area is classified as Pickney Loamy Sand soils. The Pickney Series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils. Permeability is rapid. These nearly level soils have negligible runoff and were formed by marine or fluvial sediments in the lower coastal plain on flats, depressions, stream terraces, and flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The soils of this series are loamy fine sand that is very friable and extremely acid in the upper 0-25 cm. The lower strata are similar, while the lower strata from 0.8-2 meters are comprised of fine sand. (Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey.)
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Rhododendron canescens; Sphagnum sp.; Ilex opaca; Acer rubrum; Woodwardia areolata; Nyssa biflora; Taxodium distichum; Pinus taeda; Persea palustris; Vaccinium corymbosum; Liquidambar styraciflua; Lyonia lucida; Smilax sp.; Osmunda regalis; Osmundastrum cinnamomeum; Morella cerifera; Hypericum sp.; Carex sp.; Rubus sp.; Arundinaria gigantea; Magnolia virginiana; Quercus nigra; Tillandsia usneoides; Nyssa aquatica; Mitchella repens; Ilex coriacea; Gordonia lasianthus; Hexastylis arifolia; Sambucus canadensis; Vitis rotundifolia (as Muscadinia rotundifolia); Callicarpa americana; Chasmanthium sessiliflorum; Viburnum nudum; Pleopeltis polypodioides.
Comment: Description: The plants on this site are broad-leaved evergreen, rhizomatous clumping-massing shrubs with upright-arching to spreading single to sparsely branching stems. Mature clonal masses are approximately 1-2 meters tall x 4-8 meters in diameter. Stem are robust and stout without a significant zig-zag appearance; stems are generally brown on 3+year old stems and green on younger stems. Leaves are simple, alternate and evergreen; they are lanceolate to oblanceolate or elliptic and approximately 7.5-13 cm long x 2-3 cm wide. The leaf margins are generally serrulate with an apex that is acute to long-acuminate. The fruits are 5-valved capsules borne sub-terminally in the leaf axils, producing large clusters in autumn. Further collectors' note: The plants on this site seem atypical of Leucothoe axillaris to this collector. They grow in distinct, well-defined large masses (possibly clonal) surrounded by distinct open areas; whereas, typical Leucothoe axillaris (as seen by this collector) tend to be large nondescript low-growing and aggressively rhizomatous masses that cover very large areas. Furthermore, the plants at this site are unusually tall with robust stems. For this reason, there are many questions about what, this population of Leucothoe actually is. Perhaps, this is just a very mature population of Leucothoe axillaris; on the other hand, perhaps this is Leucothoe fontanesiana or even a hybrid. It should be noted that there is good evidence, by the maturity of other plants in this geographical location, that this site is a mature and relatively stable habitat. Sandy Run seems to have an extensive intact wetland system both up and downstream from the collecting site. It deserves further investigation, especially during multiple seasons to observe its diversity and explore the Leucothoe more thoroughly. Plants are common at this site and throughout the drainage of the stream and associated wetland. Cuttings collected from more than 20 plants.
Collector(s):