21 November 2023.
Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States
Locality: Interstate 20, westbound, approximately 13 miles west of Mississippi River, 9 miles east of U.S. Highway 65.
Coordinates: 32.3374, -91.0632
(Map it)
Elevation: 24m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Environment description: Damp low, wooded treeline. Slope: less than 2%. Aspect: Southwest. Elevation: 79 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 1
Associated species: Crataegus viridis; Ilex decidua; Sabal minor; Quercus nigra; Acer negundo; Cornus drummondii; Celtis laevigata; Ampelopsis sp; Carex sp.
Comment: Carolina snailseed is a deciduous to semi-evergreen vine with slender, twining stems, 15-20’. Grows across a wide range of conditions: rocky open woods, rich bottoms, swampy areas, forest margins, near streams, roadsides, and fencerows. Leaves entire, alternate, simple, dark green, glossy 4” long, oval to heart-shaped to triangular, often all on the same plant. Stems green to semi-woody. Dioecious; flowers greenish white, non-showy, drooping, in terminal and axillary clusters, summer. Fruit shiny, orangy-red, pea sized drupes in loose clusters, fall. The common and generic name comes from the single crescent-shaped seed inside each drupe, which resembles a quarter moon or small snail shell. Fruit collected from one plant.
Collector(s):