28 November 2023.
Kendall County, Texas, United States
Locality: 22 Tower Rd. Spanish Pass, a 1700 Spanish trail leading northwest from San Antonio to Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, a Spanish fort on the San Saba River. Later, [the trail] gave way to a train route for The Old No 9. Sections of the rail bed are still discernible.
Coordinates: 29.8564, -98.7804
(Map it)
Elevation: 510m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Environment description: Steep limestone bluff. Slope: 15%. Aspect: East. Elevation: 1674 feet.
Number of plants sampled: 2
Associated species: Quercus buckleyi; Juniperus ashei; Muhlenbergia reverchonii.
Comment: Texas madrone is a single-trunked to multi-trunked large evergreen shrub or small tree, vase shaped with a rounded crown, growing 5–25 feet tall. Trunks are often gnarled and twisted. Bark is extremely ornamental, smooth, reddish-orange brown, peeling in thin sheets. Leaves simple, alternate, thick, leathery, 2–6 inches long and 0.5–2 inches wide; oblong, oval, or elliptic ovate; margins entire. Upper surface is glabrous, lower surface glabrous to somewhat pubescent. Flowers, white or pale pink bell-shaped, in loose panicles, spring. Fruit small, 0.25-0.5” round, warty and rough-textured, bright red-orange berry, in clusters, fall, persisting into winter months. 1-10 seeds per fruit. Seeds collected from 2 plants.
Collector(s):