22 September 2024.
York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Locality: Outcrops along the Susquehanna River, accessed from the Historic Lock 12 parking lot off of Pennsylvania Road 372.
Coordinates: 39.8147, -76.3283
(Map it)
Elevation: 36m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants are growing from shade to part-sun where organic debris has accumulated in between boulders as well as further upslope in deeper mesic soils along the Susquehanna River. This habitat has a diverse assemblage of deciduous trees and shrubs as well as abundant herbaceous taxa. Slope: 10 to 25 percent. Aspect: Northeast (generally). Geology: The underlying geology of this area is probably of lower Paleozoic age and characterized as the Octoraro Formation. It includes albite-chlorite schist, phyllite, some hornblende gneiss, and granitized members. Soils: The area where this species occurs is right on the edge of two soil zones that transition from the river’s edge to mesic conditions upslope. The first is generally referred to as Rock Outcrop. This terrestrial matrix in which plants grow is largely exposed underlying rock geology with accumulated outwash, rock decomposition, and organic debris buildup. The second is Mt. Airy (80%) and Manor (20%) Series soils, 25 to 60 percent slopes, extremely stony (MRF). (Source: California Soil Resource Lab/NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions). EPA Ecoregion (Level III): Northern Piedmont (64). EPA Ecoregion (Level IV): Piedmont Uplands (64c).
Number of plants sampled: 20
Associated species: Baptisia tinctoria; Fagus grandifolia; Alnus serrulata; Collinsonia canadensis; Amorpha fruticosa; Toxicodendron radicans; Schizachyrium scoparium; Solidago bicolor; Solidago racemosa; Vaccinium angustifolium; Acer rubrum; Acer saccharinum; Aronia melanocarpa; Betula nigra; Vaccinium stamineum; Vaccinium corymbosum; Hypericum prolificum; Ionactis linariifolia; Rubus sp.; Fraxinus pennsylvanica; Viburnum dentatum; Quercus montana; Nyssa sylvatica; Malus sp.; Platanus occidentalis; Symphyotrichum sp.; Ageratina altissima; Chionanthus virginicus; Phlox subulata; Lonicera japonica; Rhododendron arborescens; Hamamelis virginiana; Rosa carolina; Crataegus sp.; Kalmia latifolia; Rhododendron periclymenoides; Sedum sarmentosum; Parthenocissus quinquefolia; Prunus serotina; Diospyros virginiana; Amelanchier sp.; Cornus amomum [listed as Swida amomum]; Heuchera americana; Asplenium platyneuron; Eutrochium sp.; Carya glabra; Lindera benzoin; Asimina triloba; Ulmus americana; Viburnum prunifolium; Lonicera maackii; Uvularia sessilifolia; Clematis virginiana; Solidago juncea; Vitis sp.; Ilex verticillata; Carya cordiformis; Reynoutria japonica; Polystichum acrostichoides; Athyrium filix-femina; Eurybia divaricata; Tilia americana; Betula lenta; Quercus rubra; Rubus phoenicolasius; Liriodendron tulipifera; Veronicastrum virginicum; Hydrangea arborescens; Sedum ternatum; Aquilegia canadensis; Thalictrum pubescens; Vaccinium pallidum; Pycnanthemum tenuifolium; Ambrosia artemisifolia; Cystopteris sp.; Carpinus caroliniana; Chelone glabra; Asplenium trichomanes; Onoclea sensibilis; Rhus copallinum.
Comment: Plants are deciduous, multi-stemmed shrubs with an upright irregular arching-spreading habit, reaching 2-3 m tall and wide at maturity. The bark of the lower stems is dark brown to dull orange, eventually shredding into thin strips. Leaves are simple, alternate, and oval to ovate in overall shape, 8-13 cm long x 6-10 cm wide; they typically have 3-5 shallow lobes. The leaf margins are coarsely crenate-dentate with a leaf base that is cordate to rounded. The upper leaf surface is medium to dark green, while the lower leaf surface is light green. At the base of each leaf petiole is a pair of small linear stipules. Round, drooping clusters of fruit (15-50 per cluster) are borne on young branches. Fruits are borne on a pedicel up to 2 cm long; the fruit is papery, inflated, membranous and angular-shaped; fruits range from 6-10 mm long. Fruits dry brown. This species is relatively common on the woodland edge along this portion of the Susquehanna River. Seed collected from 20 plants; approximately 6,500 to 7,000 fruits collected.
Collector(s):