Miscellaneous Forest Types-II

Eastern or Southern (Plateau) Live Oak

Live oak forests, woodlands and savannas in southeastern North America- There are various species (and lower taxa) of Quercus across North America that retain their leaves more-or-less yearlong (or through the cool-season) so as to be described as "evergreen" or "live" oaks. Evergreen or live oaks of one species or another range from the Atlantic Coast at Virginia southward, then along the Gulf Coast, and sporadically westward to the Coast Range of California and Oregon. The evergreen oak of eastern (southeastern) and Gulf coastal North American is the eastern live oak, Virginia live oak, or, simply, live oak (Quercus virginiana). Various forms and varieties of Q. virginiana have been recognized in the region of the Eastern Deciduous Forest of North America. The most distinctive of these varieties of the Eastern Deciduous Forest is Q. virginiana var. maritima, dwarf live oak, which often exist more as a shrub and thus forms shrubland or scrub rather than forest. The live oak of eastern North America growing farther west along the Gulf Coast, and often extending inland for considerable distance, has had (still has) a confusing if not arbitrary taxonomic treatment. Traditionally the live oak species ranging from Virginia and the Carolinas westward to eastern and central Texas and northward to localized pockets in Oklahoma and Arkansas was regarded as Q. virginiana including the more western and northward live oaks designated as Q. virginiana var. fusiformis (Muller, 1951). Later, Muller (1961, p. 27) revised his previous work and concluded that all Texas plants except for a small portion of those in southeast were of the species, Q. fusiformis. More recent taxonomists in Texas (Correll and Johnston, 1979; Diggs et al, 1999) followed Muller (1961) and other treatments and elevated Q. virginiana var fusiformis to the species status as Q. fusiformis accompanied by such common names as plateau live oak, escarpment live oak, scrub live oak, and west Texas live oak. Q. fusiformis (= Q. virginiana var. fusiformis) varies in size from shrubs to large trees and in morphology from arboreus (true tree) to scrub form. Typically this taxon spreads by rhizomes and/or root sprouts (often these asexual reproductive organs are referred to as root stocks). Diggs et al. (1999, p.716) stated that it was possible that Q. fusiformis was ... "only a more xeric and cold tolerant subsepecies of the more widespreat Q. virginiana". That has been the traditional interpretation of this taxon, and it was the one followed herein. Forest and range ecologists have been much more reluctant to distinguis between Q. virginiana and Q. fusiformis than have taxonomists. The following treatment of live oak (either the classic mesic, eastern Q. virginiana or the xeric [less mesic], western Q. virginiana var. fusiformis) dealt with the tree form of this species either as woodland (= open forest) made up of individual trees (genetic individuals; different genotypes) or as smaller mottes (Texan usage for "grove") in which many to most tree trunks were shoots of the same tree. In the latter case single or distinct tree trunks are individual or separate shoots of the same genetic plant originating from a common rootstock derived from one acorn (single trunks are modules of the same tree distinguished as the same genotype or genetic individual). It is nigh on to impossible to determine if live oak trunks in a motte or closely spaced live oaks in a larger forest or woodland community are several different trees (unique genotypes; each tree from an embryo) or different tree trunks of the same tree (tree trunks from the same embryo; all shoots derived from one acorn). Usually there are some of both sources, but it is generally accepted by ecologists and plant physiologists that most trunks in a live oak motte are of the same tree meaning that a live oak motte is a clonal plant as in the case of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Also, it must be assumed that trees and shrubs in mottes and many of those in the larger woodland tracts have root-grafted so that the local community does have some features of the Clementsian "super organism". The term woodland rather than forest was used for live oak-dominated range communities because this designation seemed more appropriate (a more apt description) for the more open canopy and, im most instances, only slightly interlocking crowns of mature trees coupled with well-developed herbaceous and shrub-small tree layers in understories. Woodland more than forest seemed to the author to connote more clearly this idea, but at the same time it was possible that the converse was true and that forest was the more relevant or accurate descriptive term. The designation of forest was used by Brown et al. (1998. p. 41) for the Floridian Evergreen (Hammock) Forest biotic community (see below). The Live Oak forest cover (89) of the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) was described as bottomland forest, but the description for this type clearly included a denser and more species-diverse plant community than the more open vegetational architecture of the Florida hammock and western Gulf of Mexico live oak motte and larger woody communities dominated by live oak.

1. Live oak hammock (hammock is Indian for "shady place")- This is a unique land form and range vegetation type restricted to the southeastern portion of North America, especially Florida. Hammocks are characterized by being fairly level to gently rolling and higher than surrounding land. Yet they are poorly drained and fertile (soils are high in humus) with hardwood communities that are typically dominated by live oak canopy and an understory of cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), carpetgrass (Axonopus affinis), and panicgrasses (Panicum spp.). FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). There is no Kuchler equivalent for communities this small; the Kuchler system lumped this type in with some other larger unit of which K-81 (Live Oak-Sea Oats) seemed most fitting. SRM 817 (Oak Hammocks). Mixed Hardwood Series 124.1j1 of Floridian Evergreen (Hammock) Forest biotic community 124,1j of Brown et al. (1998). Southern Coastal Plain- Central Florida Ridges and Uplands Ecoregion, 75c (Griffith et al., undated).

2. Interior of a Florida live oak hammock with tell-tale raised yet wet ground—Mid-canopy shrubs include wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) and American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) with sparsely scattered saw palmetto (Serenoa repens).FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). Subunit of K-81 (LiveOak-Sea Oats). SRM 817 Oak Hammocks). Mixed Hardwood Series 124.1j1 in Floridian Evergreen (Hammock) Forest biotic community 124.1j of Brown et al. (1998). Southern Coastal Plain- Central Florida Ridges and Uplands Ecoregion, 75c (Griffith et al., undated).

3. A woodland on the coastal sand prairie- A live oak woodland had developed on the Kenedy sand prairie (Johnston, 1963, p. 460), one form or subtype of Gulf coastal tallgrass prairie inland from the coast but within the Texas Coastal Prairies and Marshes Area. Seen from perspective of Landscape Ecology this range vegetation (these units of hardwood evergreen woodland), ecosystems, and/or landscape elements could be interpreted as patches of live oak woodland in a matrix of seacoast bluestem (Andropogon littoralis= Schizachyrium scoparium var. littorale)- sacahuiste or Gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartae) coastal prairie. From the classical viewpoint of savanna as put forth by Dyksterhuis (1957) this overall grassland-woodland landscape could be seen as a savanna in which units or assemblies of woody vegetation ranging from smaller mottes (Texan for "groves") to extensive "woods" of several hundred acres are the physiogonomic equivalent of vegetation consisting of individual to "a few" trees and/or shrubs isolated on grassland. In other words, this would be a savannah in which the woody elements are larger and include more woody plants (eg. groves) rather than the typical situation of scattered individual trees and/or shrubs. This would not necessarily imply that such a structural or physiogonomic savannah was a successional or genetic (as to origin) savanna, this latter of which is the usual definition or, at least, connotation of an ecotone (a transition) from herbaceous to woody vegetation. Interpretation of the woody vegetational units perhaps would hinge on whether mottes or woodlands were actually one up to "just a few" genetic plants whose individual stems (trunks or boles) were repeating clonal units or, alternatively, if these groves or woodlands were composed of many genetic individuals (each or most trees as denoted by a single tree trunks were derived from one embryo, that is, one acorn). Range vegetation shown here was part of what has long been known as the Wild Horse Desert part of the Rio Grande Plains. This native grazing land is a slightly rolling or hummock aeolian plain of sand entitled the "Kenedy loose sand prairie" that consist of different range plant communities as "a tight mosaic of vegetation types..." (Johnston, 1963, p. 460). The uncertain successional status of large live oak mottes like the one shown here that develop on loose sand uplands was mentioned briefly in the caption of the immediately succeeding slide. The present photograph illustrated the spatial arrangement of sandy sachuiste prairie and mottes dominated by live oak that attest to the "very complex mosaic of vegetation types" (Johnston, 1963, p. 460) of the Wild Horse Desert on the Rio Grande Plains. Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, late hibernal or early vernal aspect.

4. Live oak motte turned woodland- Exterior view of a live oak woodland or forest (larger than typical live oak motte) situated within seacoast-sacahuista tallgrass coastal prairie. The dominant herbaceous plant growing at perimeter of live oak woodland was Gulf cordgrass or sacahuista. Other tree species present--at rare to trace amounts of canopy cover--werehoney mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and common hackberry or sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). Even though crowns of trees produced a fairly closed canopy with considerable interlocking of branches there was a well-developed (e) herbaceous understorey (often consisting of two to three layers) as well as a second (lower) woody layer or understorey of shrubs and small (immature) trees. Areal extent (acreage) of this live oak-dominated range community was considerably larger than typical live oak mottes and therefore was viewed more as a live oak woodland or forest rather than as a grove of trees within or on a prairie. Perhaps this distinction was arbitrary or even incorrect but, as in the case for fire behavior, at some point size (spatial scale) becomes an ecologically critical feature. Impacts and role of fire would be a case in point. Prairie fires could easily burn under or scorch crowns of small mottes whereas with expansive woodland areas there would places where fire could not reach (ie. as size of live oak-dominated stands increase in area there is increased probability that larger proportions of stands will be unaffected by fire). The situation would be similar for dispersal of plant propagules from outside live oak-dominated stands as well as for penetration of light from edges (vs. through canopy) of live oak stands. Successional status of mottes on coastal (and sone iinterior tallgrass and mixed) prairies apparently has not been completely established. Johnston (1963) described, quantified, and discussed changes in range vegetation in the much of the area of the Rio Grande Plains, including that part known as the Wild Horse Desert. Based on personal accounts, including that of a longtime ranchman on the Norias Division of King Ranch, Johnston (1963, p. 464) concluded that live oak had so increased on the sandy seacoast bluestem-sacahuiste coastal prairie that previously separate live oak mottes had coalesced and become interconnected. Causes of the shift from more herbaceous to woody vegetation included the "usual suspects" of overgrazing, seed dispersion by livestock, and reduction or cessation of fire were proposed for the increased in woody vegetation, including that of live oak mottes. Notwithstanding brush invasion due to influences of white man, live oak mottes (of much smaller acreage) are native, potential natural, or climax range vegetation. The range vegetation of both live oak mottes and surrounding Gulf cordgrass or sacahuista sand prairie were samples of two climax (= potential natural) plant communities. Live oak mottes had expanded into range that was formerly "Kenedy loose sand prairie" (Johnston, 1963, p. 460) so that the overall vegetation of this natural grazing ground had departed from climax conditions of the virgin range. Yet species composition, structure, etc. of the two range communities was representative of that of each climax community. A description and discussion of the general or overall range vegetation over much of the Rio Grande Plains was provided by Fulbright in Shiflet (1994) as SRM 719 (Mesquite-Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). The Society for Range Management did not offer a separate designation or treatment of live oak motte as a distinct range type. Likewise, the Live Oak forest cover type of the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) did not include the live oak motte form of the Gulf Coast prairies. Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, later hibernal or early vernal aspect. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Forest and Woodland Ecosystem). Variant of K- 81 (Live Oak-Sea Oats), Variant of SAF 89 (Live Oak). Alternatively and based on geographic location: FRES No. 32 (Texas Savanna), K-55 (Mesquite-Live Oak Savanna). Live Oak variant of SRM 719 (Mesquite-Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). Western Gulf Coastal Plain- Coastal Sand Plain Ecoregion 34d (Griffith et al, 2004).

5. Into the woods we go- Inside a live oak motte with a well-developed (and heavily utilized) herbaceous understorey and a shrub/immature tree layer. Almost all tree trunks where those of live oak (clonal trunks or those of individual genotypes was not determined), but there were a few honey mesquite and sugarberry trees (at least nine out of ten trunks were live oak). There were immature trees of three of these species. Most common (abundant) shrubs were Hercules club that also "goes by" tickle-tongue, pricklyash, pepperbark, and toothache tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), lime pricklyash or colima (Z. fagara), and mustang grape (Vitis mustangensis). The herbaceous layer was made up almost exclusively of numerous grasses including: Gulf cordgrass or sacahuista, seacoast bluestem, tumble windmill grass (Chloris verticillata), and hooded windmillgrass (C. cucullata), red lovegrass (Eragrostis secundiflora ssp. oxylepis),Gulf dune paspalum (Paspalum monostachyum), Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis), white tridens (Tridens albescens), Texas tridens (T. texanus), redtop panicgrass or thatchgrass (Panicum rigidulum), and Ghiesbreght panicgrass (P. ghiesbreghtii) as well as naturalized King Ranch bluestem (Andropogon ischaemum= Bothriochlor ischaemum) and Guineagrass (Panicum maximum). There were no obvious or conspicuous forbs other than an Aster sp ("go figure"). Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, late hibernal or early vernal aspect. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Woodland and Forest Ecosystem). Variant of K-81 (Live Oak-Sea Oats). Variant of SAF 89 (Live Oak). Alternatively and based on geographic location: FRES No. 32 (Texas Savanna), K-55 (Mesquite-Live Oak Savanna). Live Oak variant of SRM 719 (Mesquite-Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). Western Gulf Coastal Plain-Coastal Sand Plain Ecoregion 34d (Griffith et al., 2004).

6. Inside the live oaks- Another view of the interior of an upland (loose sand) live oak woodland or an extensive motte dominated by live oak. Tree cover and density was almost exclusively live oak (of both mature and immature tree trunks), but there were occasional honey mesquite, sugarberry or common hackberry, and least abuncant huisache (Acacia farnesiana= A. smallii). These three species were also of both mature and immature ages. Most abundant shrubs were Hercules-club or tickle-tongue (all leafless short shrubs in foreground), lime pricklyash, and mustang grape. Grasses included the dominants, Gulf cordgrass or sacahuiste and seacoast bluestem plus tumble windmillgrass, hooded windmillgrass, red lovegrass, Gulf dune paspalum, white tridens, Texas tridens, Canada wildrye, redtop pancigrass or thatchgrass, and Ghiesbreght panicgrass plus the naturalized King Ranch bluestem and Guineagrass. Strangely, no forbs other than a species of Aster were obvious. Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, late hibernal or early venal aspect. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Forest and Woodland Ecosytem). Variant of K-81 (Live Oak-Sea Oats). Variant of SAF 89 (Live Oak). Alternatively and based on geographic location: FRES No. 32 (Texas Savanna), K-55 (Mesquite-Live Oak Savanna). Live Oak variant of SRM 719 (Mesquite- Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). Western Gulf Coastal Plain- Coastal Sand Plain Ecorgeion 34d (Griffith et al., 2004).

7. King Ranch? Ya gotta be kiddin'!- Interior of live oak woodland that developed on a surrounding Western Gulf Coast tallgrass prairie. Morphology of trees, including features of branches and crowns, and general architecture (structure and arrangement of vegetation) of a live oak motte of such area (relative spatial scale) and development as to be a woodland. Trees were exclusively live oak except for occasional (rare) mesquite, Texas hackberry or sugarberry, and, least of all, huisache. There was a prominent herbaceous layer composed of coastal prairie grasses and a woody understorey of shrubs like Hercules club, lime pricklyash, and mustang grape. Grass species included isolated individuals of the dominants, Gulf cordgrass and seacoast bluestem, as well as common and hooded windmillgrasses, Gulf dune paspalum, red lovegrass, white and Texas tridens, Canada wildrye, redtop panicgrass or thatchgrass, and Ghiesbreght panicgrass, plus naturalized King Ranch bluestem and Guineagrass. A quick search for forbs was fruitless. The woodland range shown here does not purport with images of ranches in the popular imagination or perception or as shown in Hollywood Westerns, but there are numerous such live oak mottes and woodlands on large ranches in south Texas,especially those along the Gulf Coast. This scene was on the Norias Division of King Ranch. Live oak woodland range like this furnishes outstanding habitat for the Rio Grande turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) as well as providing shade for cattle and horses like the renowed Santa Gertrudis and sorrel Quarter Horses of the famous King Ranch. Live oak mottes such as that presented here are frequently the major roosts for Rio Grande wild turkey. This habitat in relation to wild turkey production, especially on King Ranch, has been studied intensively by numerous wildlife scientists at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University, Kingsville, Texas. Kenedy County, Texas. February, later hibernal or early vernal aspect. FRES No. (Oak-Gum-Cypress Woodland and Forest Ecosystem). Variant of K-89 (Live Oak). Variant of SAF 89 (Live Oak). Alternatively and based on geographic location: FRES No. 32 (Texas Savanna), K-55 (Mesquite-Live Oak Savanna). Live Oak variant of SRM 719 (Mesquite-Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). Western Gulf Coastal Plain-Coastal Sand Plain Ecoregion 34d (Griffith et al, 2004).

8. Crowding an ole patriarch- An old-growth speciment live oak with a unnaturally high (man-caused increase in) cover of understorey trees and shrubs. The well-developed lower tree and shrub layer was clearly a recent (hence almost assuredly anthropogenic) woody invasion. Great spreading limbs of the "big momma" or "gran'paw" live oak were undeniable proof that this ancient tree developed in the open (ie. in absence of crowding). The small-sized (relatively young) understorey trees and shrubs attested to recent establishment of these individuals suggesting absence of fire (at least low fire frequency), perhaps combined with overgrazing or periodic overuse that reduced grass cover. Most of the leafed-out shrubs were honey mesquite (eg. larger shrubs at far-right foreground with trunks inclined to the right) but there were also some huisache. Texas sugarberry or common hackberry was also present though largely dormant. The multi-stemmed shrub with smooth, light-grey bark was lime pricklyash with an accompaning and readily identified mustang grape with its serpentine single-stem covered by dark, deeply furrowed bark. These shrubs were the subject of the next photograph. Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, later hibernal or early vernal aspect. FRES No.16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress). K-89 (Live Oak). Variant of SAF 89 (Live Oak). Alternatively and based on geographic location: FRES No. 32 (Texas Savanna), K-55 (Mesquite-Live Oak Savanna). Live Oak variant of SRM 719 (Mesquite-Live Oak-Seacoast Bluestem). Western Gulf Coastal Plain-Coastal Sand Plain Ecoregion 34d (Griffith et al., 2004).

9. Prickly and twisted invaders- Close-up of lime pricklyash and mustang grape that had invaded the undersrtorey of a live oak motte on the sandy plains of the Wild Horse Desert in Rio Grande Plains. Age of these shrubs was not determined, but they were relatively young having not yet grown to height of first horizonal limb of an old live oak under the canopy of which these plants were growing. (This was presented clearly in the immediately preceding photograph.) Successional status of these invading shrubs was unclear, but their relative youth in comparison to the obvious age of the large live oak indicated that lime pricklyash, mustang grape (as well as mesquite and huisache) had established after the live oak had reached adult size. The terms invasion, invaders, and invading shrubs could have one or two meanings in this usage, only one of which was certain. The certain meaning or usage of invasion referred to movement of plants from one area into another and subsequent successful establishment of these new plants in their environment. This is the classic original meaning of invasion in the Clementsian usage (Weaver and Clements, 1938, ps. 131-132144, 148, 166) and, hence, as used by most foresters and rangemen (at least those of the Anglo-American school of "dynamic plant ecology"). From this original meaning a star student of Weaver, E.J. Dyksterhuis adapted invasion and, especially, invader to a second meaning (an extension or outgrowth of the original meaning of Clements). This second usage was applied to plant species that continued to invade (Clementsian meaning) on habitats that had been disturbed (denuded was Clements' term) or that were continuing to be disturbed, especially by overgrazing (Dyksterhuis, 1949). As applied to this live oak woodland Gulf cordgrass has to re-establish itself on (ie. to invade) a previously denuded (as by overgrazing, plowing, drought) range. Gulf cordgrass has to invade (ie. complete or effect an invasion) but because this species declines with disturbances (specifically abusive or improper grazing) it is a decreaser not an invader in usage as applied to plant succession and range condition/trend (Dyksterhuis, 1949). Decreaser corresponds to member of the climax plant community. On the live oak-dominated range type/site featured here lime pricklyash, mesquite, and huisache also invaded when they successfully established. Up to this point invasion has the same meaning as successful establishment of a decreaser such as Gulf cordgrass, but because these particular woody range plants have continuing or on-going invasion under disturbances such as overgrazing or, as is also likely, underburning these shrub species are invaders in contrast to decreasers like Gulf cordgrass. The prevailing judgment of rangemen with regard to such abundant establishment (invasion) of these woody species on the live oak woodland and sacahuista sand prairie range types is that this unnatural excessive invasion is symptomatic of disturbance (perhaps cessation of fire, improper grazing management, or drought) so that these shrubs are invaders in the meaning of Dyksterhuis, 1949). This is an invasion of brush, of woody invaders as per the Dykstehuis (1949) model and therefore noxious range plants. This brush invasion is different from the general (the Clementsian) invasion. Invasion by Dyksterhuis (1949) invaders is range deterioration through the process of retrogression (retrograde movement from climax vegetation). Continuing invasion by species like lime pricklyash, honey mesquite, huisache, and, probably, mustang grape resulting in development of a lower woody understorey constituted brush invasion (changes in the plant community by retrogression) and commensurate loss of economically valuable and ecologically natural forage. The real question is, "How much of the cover of live oak is brush invasion"? Or same thing with reversed emphasis, "How much of the uniting (the coalescing) of live oak mottes into extensive live oak woodland is climax (potential natural) vegetation"? Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February.

10. Ranchman's touch- Naturalized Guineagrass (Panicum maximum) formed the complete understorey of a motte of mature live oak. On this large live oak motte or woodland on the King Ranch, the understorey was such an exclusive single species- stand of Guineagrass that woody species as well as other grasses were absent. This isolated tract was subject only to infrequent defoliation. There are various "versions" of how the introduced Gunieagrass (native of Central and South America) naturalized and spread throughout the Coastal Prairies and Marshes and eastern parts of the Rio Grande Plains. One of the more popular explanations is that Guineagrass was spread by Hurricane Beluah from seed nurseries and experimental plantings at branch stations of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Others insist that Gunieagrass spread from some of the larger ranches in the region, especially King Ranch, that had planted it as the latest "miracle grass". Cypher (1995, ps. 77, 92, 94, 107, 183) described planting of Guineagrass on King Ranch under direction of Bob Kleberg. However most of these plantings and established pasturess of Guineagrass described by Cypher (1995) were King Ranch holdings in Cuba and South America. As late as the early 1970s Guineagrass was probably not established in any part of Texas (Gould, 1975, p. 469). This introduced forage grass is a "new comer" compared to Johnsongrass, bermudagrass, King Ranch bluestem, and buffelgrass. Norias Division, King Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas. February, later hibernal or early vernal aspect. Understorey so modified that FRES, Kuchler, SAF, and SRM designations would be meaningless. Western Gulf Coastal Plain-Coastal Sand Plain Ecoregion 34d (Griffith et al., 2004).

11. Leader of the western taxon of eastern or southern or, most precisely, plateau live oak (Quercus virginiana var. fusiformis= Q. fusiformis)- Catkins and new leaves have emerged on this live oak on the Cross Timbers/Grand Prairie ecotone of northcentral Texas. Shedding of last year's leaves and emergence of this year's leaves typically occurs synchronously causing some lay observers to state that "the new leaves are phushing off the old leaves". "Leaving out" usually also occurs with flowering. It's a busy (and critical) time in the life of a live oak. Erath County, Texas. March, immediate pre-anthesis to anthesis stage.

12. Flushing in eastern or southern live oak- The synchronous emergence of new leaves (from preformed buds of previous season) and shedding of old or current year's leaves in trees (such as the plateau form of southern live oak shown here) is known as flushing. These two views of a leader of southern live oak illustrated this phenological phenomenon. Erath County, Texas. March.

13. Off with the old on with the new- Tip of branch in plateau form of southern live oak on which current season's or old leaves (large leaves of dark green color) persisted even as new leaves emerge accompanied by catkins. This phenomenon is designated as flushing. Erath County, Texas. March, early catkin (pre-anthesis) stage of phenology.

14. A live oak's life in the fall- Summer-hardened leaves provided a backdrop for this southern live oak acorn. Southern (eastern) live oak is a white oak (Leucobalanus subgenus), the species of which produce an annual (vs. a biennial) acorn crop. Acorns are a rich and major carbonaceous (energy) concentrate on numerous ranges and range types. Acorns are often extremely important components of the diets of many species of range animals ranging from insects through birds and mammals, the latter often including man (American Indians especially relied heavily on various kinds of acorns.). Excessive intake of acorns (as well as buds, catkins, and leaders) can result in toxicity. Older leaves are not toxic. The poisonous principle is a group of tannins known as gallotannins. Energy stores of acorns generally offset adverse impacts of poisoning for wildlife such as upland game birds, especially wild turkey and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Grand Prairie, Erath County, Texas. October, fruit-ripe.

15. Doubleheader or twins- Two cotyledons emerging from a single acorn while still on the tree exemplified the phenomenon of vivipary in plants. Vivipary is the condition in which seeds germinate and emerge from fruit or seed while they are still attached to the parent plant. Under certain conditions live oak has viviparous germination as shown here. "Plant species in which the embryo grows sufficiently to emerge visibly from within the seed tissues before dispersal are termed viviparous" (Farnsworth, 2000). Bonner and Vozzo (1987) reported that vivipary was common in southern live oak (as well as white oak [Q. alba]) when wet weather occurred during acorn maturation. That was exactly growing conditions that existed when this acorn (and those in a pile shown in the succeeding photograph) had two cotyledons emergent from one acorn in the Grand Prairie of northcentral Texas. Emergence of two embryos (and hence potentially two trunks) of southern live oak complicated the understanding of distinct shoots (trunks) of this species in live oak mottes. Not only is there the question as to whether trunks are asexual shoots from roots of existing trees (= shoots or trunks) or derived from acorns (such sexual shoots would be unique genotypes), but also as to if more than one trunk arose from a single fruit and a single fertilized ovule. In other words, are most of the "trees" (trunks or shoots) in a motte of southern live oak clones (= such offshoots are ramets) or are they distinct (genetic) plants that are genets? Erath County, Texas. Late October.

16. Ready to grow- Numerous viviparous acorns off of the same young southern oak presented in the preceding slide. All these acorns had germinated while still attached to this tree. Theses viviparous acorns subsequently fell to ground from which they were gathered and arranged by the author for viewing purposes. All of these viviparous acorns had a single embryo (cotyledon) emerging from the nut. Almost all acorns of southern live oak are shed from a cup that persist much longer on the tree. An ecception to this pattern was included in this pile. Predation on nutrient-rich acorns is universal and by many species. The acorn at lower left had been bored into and fed upon by some larval insect. The rest had been spared (so far) and were ready to grow in soil beneath the parent live oak. This situation illustrated how sexual reproduction contributed to formation of mottes. Erath County, Texas. Late October.

17. A big ole good 'un or a good ole big 'un- Trunk and inner crown of an immense and, by extrapolation, very old plateau live oak. This magnificant specimen of Q. virginiana var. fusiformis or Q. fusiformis was growing at the outer edge of the floodplain of Bosque River. It epitomized the size and shape of which this taxon is capable of achieving under ideal habitat. The pattern of huge trunk ( frequently with forks) from which arise tremendous limbs explains much of the beauty and adoration attributed to southern and/or plateau live oak. This tree had just shed last year's leaves and grown the current year's foliage to adult size. Hence the bright, light-green color. Most of the foliage in the background were new leaves of cedar elm and sugarberry which had emerged before synchronous emergence of new leaves and shedding of last year's leaves, the physiological phenomenon knonw as flushing (recall from above). Erath County, Texas. April.

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) Type

Fire-intolerant eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) forms climax forests or, more accurately, woodlands of sparse understorey on higher-elevation lands having shallow, rocky soils that are fairly unassailable by fire due to insufficient ground fuel. The relative sparcity of fine fuels results in a forest range cover type largely impervious to most fires with such obvious exceptions as which can be started when lightening makes direct contact with a cedar canopy of winter-desiccated needles. The Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1954, ps, 20-21; Eyre, 19890, ps. 50-51) recognized the forest cover type of Eastern Redcedar (SAF 46), The earlier version of SAF forest cover types (Eyre, 1954, ps, 20-21) also included Eastern Redcedar-Pine (Type 47) and Eastern Redcedar-Hardwood (Type 48). These were dropped from the second edition (Eyre, 19890, p. 50) which was expanded to trake in tallgrass prairie (including the Kansas Flint Hills) invaded by eastern redcedar and periodically burnt to control the invasive conifer. Although treatment in Eyre (1980, p. 50) recognized a "cedar glade" variant of SAF Type 46--including listing of the four major tallgrass species--they incorrectly (at least in this author's interpretation) failed to see this as a savanna (or maybe even grassland) and instead grouped it as a forest type. This was the cedar glades (Juniperus-Quercus-Sporobolus) potential natural vegetation of Kuchler (1964, p. 83) and shown as unit 74 in the Forest Service Forest and Rangelands Ecosystems map (Garrison et al., 1977). Cedar glades noted, the descriptions in Eyre (1954, 1980) still did not recognize (at least did not describe) the true climatic forest or woodland vegetation dominated by eastern red cedar that develops on land least apt to carry fire and having relatively infertile soils (extremely stoney and shallow such as rock outcrop forest/range sites). There are such sites (although they are admittedly relatively restricted) and such climax eastern redcedar-dominated plant communities. Such soil-vegetation units are most commonly found on tops of bluffs above streams and similar stone outcroppings. In fact, these are widespread (although or comparatively small acerage) throughout the Ozark Plateau and associted areas of other old mountains such as the Arbuckles and Applachians. On such habitats, eastern red cedar often attains to comparatively large size and quite likely lives to extreme old age. This form of eastern red cedar-dominated vegetation--and it is the natural (climax) plant community--is true forest or, at least, woodland and not glades which by definition are climax communities dominated and defined by herbaceous species, especially grasses. An example of this climax eastern red cedar-dominated vegetation was presented below. (Cedar glades were covered in Range Types of North America under Miscellaneous Grasslands.)

18. Atop the bluffs- A local consociation of eastern red cedar on the pinacle of limestone bluffs in the western Ozark (Springfield) Plateau. These were relatively large (and, almost assuredly, very old) trees. There was limited--though undoubtedly adequate--regeneration of eastern red cedar. There was a sparse understorey and this was limited to herbaceous vegetation, including a moss-lichen lichen on surface rock. Vascular plants included poverty oatgrass (Danthonia spicata); Japanese chess or brome (Bromus japonicus) a naturalized Eurasian annual; and a few stunted-appearing plants of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). At this very early stage of spring most plants had not emerged from dormancy. Leafless hardwood trees in the foreground were black oak (Quercus velutina) that were at the edge of a black oak-post oak (Q. stellata)-black hickory (Carya texana) forest which was a separate plant community from the narrow strip of cedar woodland that had developed on even shallower and stonier soil than that of the oak-hickory forest. Bluffs above Lost Creek. Ottawa County, Oklahoma..March. No FRES or Kuchler unit for this forest or woodland range community. SAF 46. No units in Brown et al.(1998). Variant of Dry Limestone/Dolomite Woodland (Nelson, 2005). Ozark Highlands- Springfield Plateau Ecoregion, 39a (Woods et al., 2005).

19. Oldests ones on the highest ground- Old and fairly large trees of eastern red cedar dominated and defined a forest or woodland range community that had developed along the very edge and on the north slope just below the top of limestone bluffs in the Springfield Plateau of the Ozark Region. These were obviously old-growth trees as indicated by the form of twisted and gnarled trunks and broken crowns.There were a few smaller saplings of eastern red cedar as well. A lower layer of woody plants was lacking otherwise. Instead the understorey consisted of two herbaceous layers: 1) a moss-lichen zone on exposed rock surfaces and trunks of junipers and 2) vascular plant zone consisting primarily of poverty oatgrass with a few patches of Japanese chess or brome and runt-sized plants of big bluestem that were still dormant in this early spring (nearly late winter) season. Trunks and crowns of leafless trees were those of a few black oak at the edge of an adjoining black oak-post oak-black hickory forest that had developed farther away from the bluffs and on soil that was somewhat deeper and less rocky. The paucity of herbaceous plants assured low fuel load so that any surface fires (any such would likely originate or be started from the adjacent oak-hickory forest or on grasslands, farm fields, house yards, etc. farther below these upland forests. It is because of this nearly assured protection from fires--lightening-set, prescribed, or accidental--that eastern red cedar was able to live to such comparatively great age and size and continue to dominate this range vegetation. Otherwise, eastern red cedar is as specified in Eyre (1980, ps. 50-51) a seral cover type. Clearly Juniperus virginiana does not need shallow or mineral soil for germination and seedling establsihmene as attested to by the all-too-plentiful presence of this horrid invading conifer on tallgrass prairie and oak-hickory forest. On this forest site, eastern red cedar woodland is the potential natural (climax) plant community. It is a restricted range cover type that occupies small, isolated, patchy, areas adding mostly diversity providing an interesting natural community albeit one of low productivity and even less economic importance. Bluffs above Lost Creek. Ottawa County, Oklahoma..March. No FRES or Kuchler unit for this forest or woodland range community. SAF 46. No units in Brown et al.(1998). Variant of Dry Limestone/Dolomite Woodland (Nelson, 2005). Ozark Highlands- Springfield Plateau Ecoregion, 39a (Woods et al., 2005).

Various Other Southern Forest Types

20. Two distinct plant communities comprising locally restricted vegetation types: 1) a swamp of water oak with bald cypress as an associate and 2) a maidencane (Panicum hemitomon) marsh designated as a lowlands range site. These two types together constitute a flat woods pond. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem) and corresponding K-101 (Southern Flood-Plain Forest) and FRES No.41 (Wet Grasslands Ecosystem) with with no Kuchler units small enough to pick up the maidencane type. Maidencane would be included with Kuchler-83 (Everglades) in Florida. The maidencane marsh type is SRM 819. Mixed Hardwood Series in Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forest biotic community and Maidencane Series (if and when such is recognized) Series in Southeastern Interior Marshland biotic community, respectively, of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

21. Edge of two wetland range communities- Boundary between the water oak-bald cypress swamp and maidencane swamp introduced in the preceding slide. The swamp portion of this flatwoods pond was FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem) and corresponding K-101 (Southern Flood-Plain Forest) while maidencane marsh was FRES No.41 (Wet Grasslands Ecosystem) with with no Kuchler units small enough for this region so that instead maidencane would be included with Kuchler-83 (Everglades) in Florida. Maidencane rangeland cover type was SRM 819 (Freshwater Marsh and Ponds). Swamp with water oak dominant and bald cypress the associate species comprised a combination or "hybrid" of SAF ted

22. Maidencane in the spring- Hardin County, Texas. May, late vernal aspect. Maidencane Series (if and when such is recognized) in Southeastern Marshland biotic community, respectively, of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

23. Bay-Gall Bog or Titi in the Texas Big Thicket- This vegetation is the most impenetrable “jungle” or “tangle’ in the Big Thicket. The local mound-and-intermound relief creates a bog ecosystem. The soil series of the mound microrelief (on the mound) has the spodosol soil series Babco. This is currently the only spodosol mapped in Texas. The dominant plants are red bay (Persea borbonia) and sweet bay or swamp bay (Magnolia virginiana) among the hardwood trees and shortleaf and loblolly pine from the conifers. Gall, swamp cyrilla or, by the Indian name, titi (Cyrilla raecmiflora) is the dominant species of the shrub layer along with gallberry (Ilex coriacea; not to be  confused with the preceding gall), bull-briar (Smilax bona-nox), saw-brier (S. glauca), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) dominate the shrub layer. Completing this “tangle” is the herbaceous understory often dominated by rather rank-growing ferns.

The largest trunk (in center) is a loblolly pine, the trunk immediately behind and to the right of it is a water oak, the two trees immediately behind and to the right of the water oak are sweet bay magnolias, and the left foreground tree is a red bay. Most of the shrubs in the foreground understory are swamp cyrilla or titi. Hardin County, Texas. May. There is no specific FRES or Kuchler for this local community that grows within the FRES No. 13 (Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine forest Ecosystem). Mixed Hardwood Series in Southeastern Swamp anbd Riparian Forest biotic community of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

24. Interior of a Texas Big Thicket Bay-Gall Bog- Detail of the shrub layer described in the preceding slide caption. Note the seedling or young tree stage of loblolly pine in the foreground and the adult loblolly pines in background indicating that this is the dominant conifer for this unique local community. Hardin County, Texas. May.

25. The floor or herbaceous layer of a Bay-Gall Bog dominated by ferns. Over 20 species of ferns are native to the Big Thicket and there are another four or five species that may have naturalized here. The ferns are growing on a mound of Babco soil. Hardin County, Texas. May.

26. Profile of Babco soil (the only spodosol mapped in Texas)- Spodosols comprise the  soil order characterized by having  a light gray eluvial horizon over a reddish aluminum- and/or iorn-enriched horizon. They typically occur in humid areas.  The Babco pH ranges from 3.1 to 3.6. Hardin County, Texas. May.

27. Sandjack= bluejack oak (Quercus incana)-sandhill bluestem scrub type— The bluestem is a taxonomic complex of little bluestem, including the taxa often shown as Andropogon divergens or Schizachyrium scoparium var. divergens, and slender bluestem (Andropogon tener= Schizachyriumtenerum). A few post oaks are associates of bluejack oak. Composites and various prickly pears (Opunia spp.) are scattered throughout the bunchgrass sward. An aeolian ("blowsand") ridge community. Beech Creek Unit, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. May. FRES No. 14 (Oak-Hickory Forest Ecosystem). A variant of K-72 (Oak Savanna). One of the many forms of Southern Scrub Oak, a variant of SAF 72 (Southern Scrub Oak). A Scrub Oak Series of Brown et al. (1998), but one was not shown for this region. Sandy upland variant of South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

Northern Coniferous Forest Types

305. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) Forest- This small stand of jack pine is on the sand dune complex along the southern shore of Lake Michigan where it is clearly seral to the climax or subclimax basswood and climax beech-sugar maple forests. Here it grows on more mesic northern slopes of the dunes, often with eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and the local black oak (a subspecies or variety of Quercus velutina). Jack pine is seen here as a pure form in the upperstory with invasion of young trees into a grass understory dominated by little bluestem with the associated Gramineae species of Canada or nodding wildrye, bluejoint, and, as remnants from the colonizing seral stage, Merramgrass or American beachgrass. Indiana Dunes State Park, Porter County, Indiana. Hibernal aspect. FRES No. 10 (White-Red-jack Pine Forest Ecosystem), K-86 (Great Lakes Pine Forest), SAF 1 (Jack Pine).

306. Jack Pine Forest on dunes of Lake Michigan shore- This seral plant community grows on more moist and protected north slopes and is clearly seral to climax norther hardwood forest of either Basswood or American Beech-Sugar Maple-Eastern Hemlock Forest Cover Types. The jack pine seen here are near the southern extreme of the species’ range and they are not associated with the more typical assemblage of species in communities they dominate. Specifically, this jack pine stand is not any of the five subtypes described by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980, ps. 8-9). It does, however, fit into the SAF jack pine forest cover type. That includes as seral to such hardwood species as sugar maple and basswood as it is here on the Lake Michigan dunes. In fact, Eyre (1980, p. 8) indicated that the main distribution of jack pine is in the Lake States.  This view is inside the “dune complex” which is a patchwork of communities representing the various seral stages of vegetation development. The foreground is the second seral stage after colonization with Merramgrass or American beachgrass and sand cherry. The foreground community is dominated by little bluestem which succeeds  the colonizers. Associates are Canada wildrye and bluejoint. This grass understory extends under the jack pines but with reduced cover. Indiana Dunes State Park, Porter County, Indiana. Hibernal aspect. FRES No. 10 (White-Red-Jack Pine Forest Ecosystem), K-86 (Great Lakes Pine Forest), SAF 1 (Jack Pine).

Palm Forest

One of the most unique and restricted types of native vegetation in southeastern North America and in the important range state of Texas is the jungle-like forest dominated by the native palm that grows to tree size and habit and is known variously as sabal palm, Texas or Rio Grande palmetto, palma de micharos (Sebal texana= S. mexicana). This native woodland is a flatwoods or floodplain forest (more commonly than it is a riparian or gallery forest which is a narrower zone of wetland vegetation) that develops over the greater or general floodplain or the Rio Grande (= Rio Bravo) in the states of Texas and Tamaulipas. The other major woody plant species that defines this woodland community is Texas ebony or ebano (Pithcellobium flexicaule= P. ebano). Thus this natural plant community has been described as the sabal palm-Texas ebony jungle forest. A common associate (when interpreting sabal palm and ebony as co-dominants) is anacua or knock-away (Ehretia anacua), a small tree (and often with multiple trunks like a large shrub) in the Boraginaceae (borage family). The successional relation of Texas ebony and anaqua was described later in this introduction.) Other frequent large shrubs or small trees in this forest community include tpeguaje (Leucaena palverulenta) and tenaza (Pithecellobium pallens). The most common-- and, in fact, often dominant --understorey shrub is David milkberry or cahinca (Chinococca alba). Milkberry or cahinca frequently forms the entire understorey in groves of mature palms (shown below). Other common understorey shrubs include chile piquin, chillipiquin, or bird pepper (Capsicum annuum var. minus) and Drummond's turk's cap or Drummond wax-mallow or Texas mallow (Malvaviscus drummondii= M. arboreus). Bloodberry, rouge plant, pigeonberry or coralito (Rivina humilis= R. laevis= R. portulaccoides) is one of the most common forbs in the understorey of this floodplain forest vegetation. There is typically little or no understorey beneath larger adult palms as the older mature fronds (leaves) are shed complete with their immense petioles that can be as much as four or more inches wide at the abscission zone. These shed fronds form a mulch of multi-layers in various stages of decomposition so that the forest floor is devoid (or nearly so) of understorey plants. The hard woody petioles sometimes extend as much as two feet above the blade parts of fronds making travel through fallen palm leaves very difficult. These shed fronds are ready fuel and many of the trunks of older palms are blackened from past fires. Sabal palm appears to regenerate beneath adult palms, sometimes even in the dim-lite, frond-mulched interior of the palm forest (see photographs below). There has been comparatively little material written describing this extremely restricted vegetation. The most readily available discriptions may be Texas Natural History, the original Biological Survey of Texas by Vernon Bailey with introduction and updates by Schmidly (2002, ps. 65, 75, 145, 319, 320, 326, 390, and 426) and the mostly faunal description in Saving the Best of Texas (Bartlett, 1995, ps. 132, 134-136). Vines (1962, p. 46) listed trees and shrubs in the sabal palm forest based on his previous visit to the Frank Rabb Ranch in Cameron County, Texas (this became the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary). Woody species included on Vines' list (and using his names) were Texas ebony or ebony apes-earring (Pithecellobium flexicaule= P. ebano), apes-earring (P. pallens), granjeno (Celtis pallida), Rio Grande or Mexican or Berlandier ash (Fraxinus berlandieri), Berlandier mimosa (Mimosa berlandieri), tepeguaje or great lead-tree or tpeguaje (Leucaena pulverulenta), white popinac lead-tree (L. glauca), Barbados-cherry (Malpighia glabra), lime pricky-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara), lotebush (Condalia obtusifolia= Ziziphus obtusifolia), saffron-plum bumelia (Bumelia angustifolia), Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana), and autumn salvia or autumn sage (Salvia greggii). Strangely, Vines (1962, p. 46) did not list anacua, one of the major trees, nor drummond's turk's cap and chile piquin, which are some of the major shrubs, for the sabal palm forest. The sabal palm forest was apparently not a large community even in pre-European North America. Officials associated with various organizations like the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sancttuary and World Wildlife Fund have reported in worldwide web publications (eg. www.tx.audubon.org/centers/ sabal) that in North America sabal palm-dominated forest was limited primarily to the floodplains of such rivers as the Rio Grande and San Bernard and, except for isolated relict vegetation, extending northward primarily through the Lower Rio Grande Valley and up the Rio Grande for about 80 miles (Bartlet, 1995. p. 135). According to reports from the LaSalle Expedition sabal palm grew much farther west including along the Guadalupe River. There is no evidence, however, that the sabal palm-Texas ebony (ebano) jungle forest developed north or west of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Bartlett (1995, p. 135) reported that the pre-white man sabal palm forest totaled about 40,000 acres in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It was not clear if this included acreage in both the United States and Mexico. Almost all of the sabal palm forest on the USA side of the Rio Grande (= Rio Bravo) was cleared for irrigated agriculture and, later, for urban sprawl, beginning in the early Twentieth Century. Prior to clearing, or simultaneously with clearing, sabal palms were felled so that logs from the limb-less, easily bucked boles could be used for warf-pilings. According to Landon Lockett (www.audubon.org/ local/sanctuary/sabal/nativepalms.html) the wood of sabal palm is resistant to consumption by shipworms. Demand for shipworm-resistant wood in ports along the Gulf Coast was great enough that sabal palm populations were devastated by the "cut-and-run" logging practices of the time. Interesting sidebar note: There are several species of bivalve marine mollusks that are known as shipworms because they are capable of destroying submerged wood by eating burrows or tunnels throughout the wood, a dire condition that can ultimately destroy submerged (or partly submerged) wood that is then said to be "wormshot". Burrowing begins with the larval stagae. The most common of these marine bivalves is the tropical species, Teredo navalis, an elongated two-shelled clam that reaches lengths up to two feet. This species is especially active in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As of this writing the only remaining sabal palm-ebano forest remaining in anything resembling natural vegetation is that preserved on the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Cameron County, Texas. Of the 527 acres in this sanctuary (www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/sabal) only 32 acres is virgin palm-Texas ebony jungle forest (Bartlett, 1995. p. 135). Most of the vegetation remaining on the Audubon Sanctuary is second-growth, recovering (= secondary successional) forest. Diamond (1998, p.1) described southwestern subtropical forest types in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. These included: 1) southwestern subtropical upland forest composed of broad-leaved, mostly evergreen species and that developed on moist uplands and resaca terraces (an evergreen low forest type), 2) floodplain hardwood forest composed mostly of (ie. dominated by) sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) and Berlandier as (Fraxinus berlandieri), and 3) the Texas palmetto or sabal palm-dominated floodplain forest. Diamond (1998, ps.4-5) divided the upland subtropical evergreen forest type into two series: 1) Texas ebony-anaqua series that was described as a "well-developed forest and 2) Texas ebony-snake eyes (Phaulothamnus spinescens) series described as a "low forest grading into shrubland" but these series formed a continuum of vegetation on the uplands of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Texas ebony was the defining dominant species on the more favorable sites of both of these upland forest series. Stands of old-growth upland subtropical evergreen forest also contain large trees of anaqua as well as Texas ebony. Shrub species in (and indicative of ) understorey of these old-growth forest include brasil, snake-eyes, and Texas persimmon. Sugarberry, cedar elm, soapberry (Sapindus drummondii), and tepeguaje are generally successional woody species. Neither mesquite nor huisache are dominants of these forest types. In fact, mesquite was usually found to be almost absent in interior of old-growth stands while Texas ebony or Texas ebony and anaqua comprise almost all of the canopy of climax forests. There is little or no understorey in such forests resulting in a see-through feature below the canopy. Apparently this Texas ebony or Texas ebony-anaqua upland forest type intergrades with the sabal palm-dominated floodplain forest. Furthermore the description that the Texas ebony or Texas ebony-anaqua forest type occupied ox-bow (resaca) terraces (Diamond, 1998, p. 1) seemed to the present author to argue for it also being a bottomland forest type under such conditions (ie. when it occurs on ox-bows of floodplains). In such locations ebano- or ebano-anaqua-dominated forests would likely "blend" into sabal palm-dominated forests. It was the sabal palm-dominated and, often, sabal palm-ebano- or, even, sabal palm-ebano-anaqua-dominated floodplain or gallery forests that the following section was devoted to. On some local habitats there were palm groves whereas on others there was a mix of palm, ebano, and anaqua. Mostly sabal palm and ebano were co-dominant. All photographs were of forest vegetation from Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary, (written in abbreviated form as "Audubon Sanctuary"). This natural community was not designated specifically by any of the standard authorities like Kuchler (1964), Garrison et al., 1977), Brown et al. (1998), Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980), or Society for Range Management (Shiflet, 1994). Diamond (1998, p. 4) also emphasized that there was no Society of American Foresters cover type. Vegetation was probably too small a unit to merit inclusion in treatments devoted to general units of vegetation or in hierarchial vegetation classification systems. Anyway, there were not published vegetation units for this range vegetation so none were shown. While this forest range vegetation was not named or described as a cover type or specific biotic community or series it was in Western Gulf Coastal Plains- Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain 34f (Griffith et al., 2004).

307. Exterior view of sabal palm-ebano or Texas ebony forest- Physiogonomy of a virgin palm-ebano Rio Grande Valley forest. Local small palm grove (= stand) with Texas ebony in background. Understorey consisted of David milkberry or cahinca (Chinococca alba), bloodberry or rogue plant (Rivina humilis), chilipiquin or bush pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum), and Drummond wax-mallow or Texas mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus). Bloodberry was the only major forb. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

308. Stand of sabal palm forest- Species composition and structure of a virgin grove of Sabal mexicana (= S. texana) with understorey dominated-- almost exclusively --by David milkberry or cahinca. Mature and immature individuals of Texas ebony or ebano (Pithecellobium flexicaule= P. ebano) were visible in midground of both photographs. The smooth bark on trunks of palms indicated mature trees. Abscission scars and residue of frond petioles were "long-gone" in contrast to younger trees (see photographs below). Audubon Sanctuary. Cameron County, Texas. October.

309. Species diversity of a sabal palm-ebano jungle forest- Co-dominants of this floodplain forest were in close association on this "photo- sample" of one of the most rare of North American range types. Ebano or Texas ebony was growing alongside sabla palm with David milkberry or cahinca dominated the shrubby understorey. Rouge plant or bloodberry was most abundant forb. Note abscission scars and "trash" (residue) of shed fronds on trunk of the young palm. These leaf bases are commonly known as "boots". Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

311. "Outskirts" of a sabal palm-Texas ebony floodplain jungle forest- On the edge of this Lower Rio Grande Valley floodplain palm-ebano forest both of these dominant tree species were accompanied by lime prickly ash and young plants of anaqua and tpeguaje (Leucaena pulverulenta). In the lower understorey the most common species were bloodberry and chilipiquin. Dead fronds of sabal palm are shed and fall to the forest floor to form a relatively deep litter layer. "Boots", the bases of shed fronds, typically remain for a period of time (perhaps several years) following shedding of the leaves.This relative early shedding of dead leaves is in contrast to some other palm species in which dead fronds remain on trees to form a "skirt". Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

312. Jungle on the Rio Grande- Vegetation layers of sabal palm-ebano jungle forest were conspicuous in this photograph of the interior of the virgin vergetation that got sunlight for only a relatively short period (at least long enough for this composed shot). Regeneration of sabal palm beneath its own shade was obvious in this and the next three succceeding slides as well as others below. Sabal mexicana (= S. texana) was not included in the Forest Service Silvics of North America (Burns and Honkala, 1990), but the similar S. palmetto was classed as shade- tolerant and probably both climatic climax and fire climax (Burns and Honkala, 1990, p. 765). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

313. Palm and ebony along a resaca- The sabal palm-Texas ebony virgin forest shown in this series of photographs developed around a resaca (Spanish for ox-bow or ox-bow lake) that formed on the previous bed of the meandering Rio Grande. In 1895 the Rio Grande flooded to such extent that it changed course-- formed a new meander as such rivers are wont to do --and formed a new river bed. After being cut off from the main channel of the Rio Grande the old riverbed developed into a lake (or several small lakes) along the old meander. Ox-bow takes its name from the bows of an ox yoke. A bow is one of the two curved, slender wooden pieces that fits around the ox's neck. Later a saddle stirrup in which the boot is less likely to hang up was patterned after this piece so as to become known as ox-bow stirrup. Pioneer geologist adopted the name of the then-common piece of teamster (bull-wacker) equipment and applied it to stream meanders, especially when backwater lakes formed behind river meanders that became cut off from the main stream channel as when floods changed the river or its major tributaries. Sabal palm-ebano jungle forests developed along the floodplain of the Rio Grande in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, especially around an ox-bow (or, again the Spanish, resaca). That phenomenon was "caught on Kodachrome" in the scene shown here and in the next photograph. Both ebano or Texas ebony and sabal palms were growing in standing surface water and with tree crowns of both species outlined against the humid Gulf Coast sky. Furthermore, the tolerant palm had regenerated such that young palms were growing in open water of the resaca. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

314. Crowns along the El Rio de las Palmas- One of the numerous names of the river now know as Rio Grande and Rio Bravo alluded to the palm-lined terminus of the river that has its source in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Spanish explorers were forced to skirt the dense palm jungle forest that grew in the floodplain of the Rio de Palmas. Deep mud and perhaps quicksand may have "teamed-up" with the multi-storied floodplain forest in causing diversion of horseback Spanish exploration parties. That combination of treacherous river and formitable forest vegetation was presented in this photograph. Crowns of sabal palm and ebano, co-dominants of this range type, clearly showed botanical composition of this riparian corridor or what could be viewed as a gallery forest at this location. In addition to reproduction of sabal palm, other plant species growing along the resaca included anaqua, tpeguaje, tenaza, David milkberry, bloodberry, chilipiquin, lime prickly ash, Texas mallow or Drummond wax-mallow, and, the large native wetland grass, common reed or carrizo (Phragimites communis= P. australis). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

315. The "drier end" of sabal palm-ebano jungle forest- The series of three photographs presented immediately below showed range vegetation that developed on parts of the floodplain palm forest above (higher in elevation) and farther from the resaca (ox-bow lake) and its vegetation that were shown in the two immediately precdeding photographs. On these "higher and drier" localized habitats plant species composition shifted from that of palm groves with less dense understories to dense, impenterable thickets of thornscrub that lived up to the billing of a "jungle".

315A. Regeneration of palm and ebano in the "jungle"- Young sabal palm and Texas ebony or ebano were growing along with lime prickly ash, anaqua, and common reed on a location within 25-30 steps of the backwater of the Rio Grande in a resaca. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

315B. No wonder the explorers detoured- Lime prickly ash, night-blooming cereus (Acanthocereus pentagonus), ebano, tpeguaje, and anaqua along with a few sabal palm presented this formitable fortress of vegetation "uphill" (maybe a yard increase in elevation) from an ox-bow along the former channel of the Rio Grande.This would seem to be the "jungle"-like expression of sabal palm-ebano floodplain forest that forced Spanish explorers to divert from the Rio Grande then known as El Rio de las Palmas. Cameron County, Texas. October.

315D."There's gotta be a better way than this" (or "Ah, but what interesting vegetation")- Spanish dagger (Yucca treculeana) and some species of pricklypear (Opuntia sp.) joined ebano, tpeguaje, lime prickly ash , chilipiquin, and Berlandier fiddlewood to form this vegetational arrangement often described as a "jungle". It was readily apparent why such a barrier of thornscrub forest caused mounted explorers to find another route. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

316. Past fire and present undergrowth- Boles (trunks) of sabal palm and ebano or Texas ebony along with tenaza, tpeguaje, Berlandier fiddlewood, lime prickly ash, chilipiquin, and bloodberry or rouge plant produced this "jungle"-like sample of floodplain palm-ebano virgin forest. This range vegetation was close to the edge of a resaca (ox-bow lake) that formed when a flood 110 years ago changed the course of the Rio Grande. The resaca formed along the former channel meander that was cut off from the new riverbed. Viewers atttention was drawn to the fire-burnished trunks of sabal palm. Readers were reminded of the dense, often multi-layered litter or debris composed largely of shed fronds that covered the forest floor. This constitutes a readily available fuel for fire which, as evidenced by fire-charred palm trunks, has occurred in this vegetation. It was cited above that in Silvics of North America Burns and Honkala (1990, p.765) regarded the cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) of Florida as a fire-climax species. S. mexicana (= S. texana) was not treated in Silvics but it seemed likely that sabal palm was similar to S. palmetto in response to fire (and shade). Ages of trees and shrubs was not determined. Indeed, the monocotyledonous palm does not produce annual growth rings so ages of individuals of this species could not be accurately determined. It seemed obvious, however, that Texas ebony or ebano trees (pole-size trunks) were younger than the larger palms because there was no evidence of fire on bark of ebano poles. It followed from this that ebano had grown after the fire that charred palm trunks. From this self-evident fact it was obvious that ebano had grown under shade of the pre-existing sabla palms. Ergo, ebano or Texas ebony is also relative shade-tolerant, which is consistent with its ecological niche and role in this forest range type as a climax (and co-dominant) species. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

317. Intriguing view of virgin forest- A composite scene of old-growth sabal palm-ebano Rio Grande floodplain forest revealing regeneration of both co-dominant climax tree species. Other woody species in this forest tract were lime prickly ash, anaqua, tenaza, tpeguaje, Spanish dagger, and David milkberry or cahinca (the overall dominant understorey shrub). Other low-growing shrubs that were common in the understorey included chilipiquin and Texas mallow or Drummond wax-mallow. Bloodberry or rogue plant was the major forb. Common reed or carrizon, the large arundinoid grass, was locally dominant and frequently present as a major herbaceous species (in latter case, as in foreground of this photograph). Abscission scars from shed fronds were distinctive on trunk of palm (right foreground). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

318. Not an island paradise but Texas' Lower Rio Grande Valley- No, this was not a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea, but sabal palms, an anaqua, Texas persimmon, and common reed welcomed guests to a floodplain forest near the mouth of the Rio Grande emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Young palms and ebano saplings attested to regeneration of these climax co-dominants of this forest range type. (And, yes for some folks this always warm-- and, usually, hot -- and humid, mesquite-infested, closed-in, backwater "jungle" is paradise. "To each his own".) Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

319. Next crop of co-dominants- Regeneration of sabal palm (foreground) and ebano or Texas ebony (background) was shown distinctly in this view of the understorey of a palm-ebano floodplain forest. Litter from shed palm fronds covered much of the forest floor, but some plant species grew through this debris (and perhaps benefitted from it). It was remarked previously that based on tolerance of cabbage palm it was logical to assume that sabal palm is probably a shade- tolerant species. . Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

320. Inside a sabal palm-ebano forest- Deep interior of a Rio Grande floodplain forest with young sabal palms and older and larger ebano (largest tree trunk but with uncharcteristic lower bark) and anaqua (two trees with dark trunks in right background and one tree at extreme right margin). It was mentioned above that Sabal mexicana is likely shade-tolerant so that palm regeneration occurs in climax forests. Low-growing plants on forest floor included David milkberrry or cahinca, chilipiquin, bloodberry, and common reed. Almost all individuals of these species were stunted and were not flowering or bearing fruit in sharp contrast to individual plants of these same species. (Sexually reproductive specimens of these species that were photographed at this same time and in this forest were presented below.) Climax forest vegetation seen here was a representative sample of the Texas ebony-anacua series of upland subtropical evergreen forest described by Diamond (1998, p.4). The author of the present publication explained in the introduction to this section on Palm Forest the likelihood that floodplain sabal palm groves (the Texas palmetto [S. mexicana]-dominated forest of Diamond [1998. p.1]) intergraded (ie. "blended") into the ebano-anaqua series. Diamonde (1998, p. 4) described a vegetational continuum of similar and floristically related plant communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The absence of a well-developed understorey that was described by Diamond (1998, p. 4) as "... essentially no middle story or ground cover" was evident in this photo-quadrant. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

321. Forest smorgasbord- Within this dense sabal palm-ebano forest community several strata (layers) of vegetation were visible illustrating the structure of this floodplain range type. David milkberry was the conspicuous twining, leafy shrub ascending trunks and into the more open canopy. Bloodberry or rouge plant (also pigeonberry), the most common forb, and Texas wax-mallow or shrubby turk's cap and Berlandier fiddlewood were other common shrubs. Also present (and very conspicuous in right foreground) was common reed or carrizo. The forked-limb tree with the "dead giveaway" mottled bark was Texas persimmon. Recall from the introduction of this section that Texas persimmon was interpreted by Diamond (1998, p. 4) was a member of the climax Texas ebony-anaqua forest type. Dead fronds and "boots" (remaining bases of dead leaves) were visible on almost the entire trunks of sabal palms in foreground indicating that these were relatively young trees and that regeneration of sabal palm was on-going.. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

322. New forest on an old-field- Old-field is an "old" term in American ecological circles where it is still used in reference to abandoned farm land, most of which consisted of fields (referring to land that had been devoted to field crops). Historically before involvement of the Federal (United States) government, abandoned farm ground was left without much, if any, attempt at revegetation. What natural revegetation took place on such abandoned land did so by secondary succession. Land so abandoned was left to "go back on its own" and hence also became known as "go-back land" (a synonym for old-field and used in more more western-- subhumid to arid --regions). With advent and wide acceptance of government cost-sharing (ie, subsidized) programs for soil conservation and revegetation like the Soil Bank and, later (and more successful), Conservation Reserve Program most abandoned fields (and mined lands) in the United States are now artificially revegetated by seeding or tree planting. The range presented in this slide was an old-field or go-back land undergoing secondary succession. Forest range vegetation was in an advanced seral stage that was approaching plant species composition of climax sabal palm-ebano forest. The complete chronology of agricultural use (livestock grazing, field crop farming, horticultural cropping) on this land was, of course, not known. Likewise, the record of human inputs-- direct and/or indirect --on this stand of Texas ebony or ebano was incompletely known. Diamond (1998, p. 5) pointed out that while there had been considerable effort directed toward reforestation of abandoned cropland in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (more than 5000 acres) "only dubious records" had been kept on materials and methods or successes and failures of this restoration effort. Even on property of proverbial "crack-conservation outfits" like The Nature Conservancy details of restoration projects are far from complete. On the Audubon Society forestland shown here it was not known how much or what proportion--if any-- of Texas ebony forest regeneration was due to artificial revegetation (including tree planting) and what was atrtributable to the natural processes of secondary plant succession. Furthermore, "little is known about processes in old-growth Texas ebony forests, nor about presettlement disturbances". "Gap-phase succession is not clearly apparent in old-growth upland forests of the Rio Grande Valley" (Diamond, 1998, p. 5). Consistent with the latter statement, it appeared that on go-back land adjacent to sabal palm-ebano forest (such as the old-field shown here) climax plant species reestablished rapidly on the forest sere via old-field (= secondary) succession. A possible important factor in reforestation-- natural and/or artificial revegetation --of subtropical evergreen forests, including the various cover types and series of both floodplain and upland forests, was role played by invasive and naturalized plant species. The introduced guinea grass (Panicum maximum) recently and with unbelieveable rapidity naturalized throughout much of southern portions of the Rio Grande Plains vegetational area (and extending north of the Lower Rio Grande Valley). Naturalization (Clementsian invasion) of (by) guinea grass was complete within the time frame of approximately 30 or 40 years. This phenomenonal rate of spread rivaled that of annual grasses in California and King Ranch bluestem throughout much of Texas. Guinea grass comprised almost all of the herbaceous cover in the vegetation seen in this and the next succeding slide. Role, if any, of guinea grass in re-establishment of Texas ebony, anaqua, sabal palm, Texas prsimmon, etc. has apparently not been established or, perhaps, not even investigated. Would presence of dense cover by perennial grass have any impact on invasion by native species-- climax and/or seral -- on the forest sere? Would any such impact be different with an exotic like guinea grass than with native species? Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

322A. Forest come-back on go-back land- Young Texas ebony or ebano and sabal palm re-established on an old-field adjacent to old-growth floodplain forest co-dominated by these climax tree species. This was another view of the same land and range vegetation introduced in the preceding photograph. The forest community was obviously dominated by Texas ebony and sabal palm which are climax dominants of this forest cover type, subtropical evergreen upland forest. Anaqua was also established but at much less cover and density than the other two tree species. The herbaceous layer of this range plant community was composed almost exclusively of the introduced and naturalized guinea grass. There were trace amounts of bufflegrass (Pennisetum ciliare), another introduced (exotic or alien) and widely naturalized grass, present in the otherwise single-species herbaceous layer. Other woody species present as widely scattered individual plants included mesquite, huisache, lime prickly ash, and the subshrub ivy treebine (Cissus incisa). These species did not comprise a shrub layer. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

322B. Species line-up of come-back forest- Botanical make-up of the young forest that was developing on the go-back land introduced in the two immediately preceding photographs was shown here in greater detail. Re-establishment of climax tree species of Texas ebony, sabal palm, and anaqua along with shrubs like Texas persimmon and lime pricklyash resulted in on-going reforestation of a subtropical, evergreen upland palm-ebano-anaqua forest, the climax vegetation for this forest range site. Attention was drawn to the smaller (younger) individual plants of the climax tree species that had regenerated in close proximity to larger (more mature) and, apparently, parent plants. A closed-canopy, climax palm-ebano forest was developing on this old-field. Secondary plant succession had advanced on this forest sere to advanced stage(s) such that botanical composition of this forest community was very similar to species make-up of what is interpreted as climax (= potential natural) vegetation. Almost all of the herbaceous layer was the introduced and naturalized guinea grass. Other local aggregations of vegetation on this go-back land had not advanced to this successional stage and instead were in various brush stages composed largely of mesquite and huisace (along with guinea grass, lime prickly ash, tpeguaje, tenaza, Texas fiddlewood, etc.). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

322C. Botanical sampler- Detailed sample of second-growth sabal palm-ebano forest. This photo-plot showed the plant species composition of a young but climax forest. It may not have all the outer trappings of an old-growth sabal palm-Texas ebony forest like scenes from the virgin tract shown above but this "little bit" of vegetation had the species composition of climax palm jungle forest. Tallest, sparsely foliated trees were ebano or Texas ebony. Foremost tree (shorter than ebano and with dense foliage and ripening fruit) was anaqua or knock-a-away. A young sabal palm was at extreme left foreground (margin of photograph). Grass in front of young palm was common reed or carrizo. All of these speceis were present in an adjacent old-growth floodplain forest that had developed along a resaca (ox-bow) of the Rio Grande. Thus species composition of this local aggregation of vegetation consisted of the same climax tree species as the virgin forest vegetation. However, species make-up was not as rich or diverse as that of the relict old-growth in that there was an absence of many of the understorey shrub and forb species (eg. chilipiquin, shrubby turk's cap or Drummond wax-mallow, Texas fiddlewood, and bloodberry or rouge plant) and twining or liana-like shrubs (eg. typical understorey dominant, David milkberry or cahinca).As such, structure and function of the smaller, botanically incomplete stands of vegetation was not the same as in larger and pristine palm-ebano forest communities. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

Shown below were examples of major plant species of climax subtropical evergreen sabal palm-Texas ebony forest. Photographs of twigs, inflorescences, and legumes of Texas ebony or ebano or ape's earring were presented above with the other species of woody legumes.

323. Fruit of sabal palm (Sabal mexicana= S. texana)- Fruit cluster (panicle inflorescence type) in sabal palm. Fruit type in the Palmae (palm family) is a drupe or berry. Fruit of sabal palm has been described as "berrylike" or "fruitlike" (Correll and Johnston, 1979). The common name for sabal palm in Spanish is palma de micheros. Micheros is Spanish for the palm fruits which are resemble grapes but are have more of a datelike flavor and are relished by numerous species of animals including humans (at least under the right conditions). Cameron County, Texas. October (both ripe and unripe fruits).

324. Texas ebony or ebano- Trunk and major limbs of a mature tree with characteristic bark. Smaller tree or shrub to immediate right of ebano with its "can't miss this one" bark was Texas persimmon. It was explained previously in this section that Texas persimmon is a climax (and indicator) species associated with ebano-anaqua forest (see again Diamond, 1998, p. 4). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

325. Anaqua (Ehretia anacua)- This medium-sized tree of the Boraginaceae (borage family) is a climax co-dominant with Texas ebony on forest sites of the Texas ebony-anacua series of subtropical evergreen upland forest in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Diamond, 1998, p. 4). In the present publication anaqua was interpreted as the major associate of co-dominant species, sabal palm and Texas ebony, on climax floodplain forests near mouth of the Rio Grande. This was based on empherical observations by this author in the relict vegetation of Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sactuary, Cameron County, Texas. The example of leaves and fruit shown here was of the large anaqua specimen in the last photograph of forest range vegetation on the old-field of the Audubon Sanctuary. October.

326. Leaves and fruit of anaqua or knock-away- Fruit type in anacua (anaqua is spelled with either a "c" or a "q") is a drupe. Each drupe has two stones or pits each of which has two seeds. The fruit is juicy and eaten by numerous wildlife species. Viewers should scroll back to the preceding slide and observe again the heavy fruit crop. Multiply that by four and get an idea of the number of seeds dispersed from a single tree. Anacua trees deep inside sabal palm-ebano forest do not produce high fruit yields like the specimen in the go-back land above. More realistic examples of fruit yield in forest interiors were presented in the present two photographs. Still, a "heap of seeds" are produced by one tree. Trunk of sabal palm in background of first of these photographs depicted close association of these two climax tree species. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

327. David milkberry or cahinca (Chinococca alba)- This woody vine has been interpreted as the most common dominant species of the understorey of climax sabal palm-Texas ebony floodplain forest. Cahinca is expecially common-- sometimes the exclusive or nearly sole --dominant shrub of palm groves.

328. David milkberry or cahinca- Leader and shoot apex with some fruit of the dominant shrub (woody vine) of sabal palm groves. Audubon sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

329. Shrubby or woody turk's cap, Drummond wax-mallow or Texas mallow (Malvaviscus drummondii= M. arboreus var. drummondii)- One of the more common and, certainly, conspicuous understorey shrubs in climax sabal palm-Texas ebony forests is this member of the mallow family (Malvaceae). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

330. Drummond wax-mallow- Shoot apex with inflorescence. The telltale staminal column of the mallow family was displayed prominently by this proud member of the lower woody layer of the climax sabal palm-ebano floodplain forest. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

331. Chilepiquin or chilitepin (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum)-The official native pepper of the Lone Star State. Yep, that's right. Passed the Texas House of Representatives in 1997 as some sort of House Resolution. Ain't it fine to have statesmen with such leadership, vision, and botanical insights! Would you believe a sense of political savy and a taste of subtle seasonings?. Anyway this little annual chili is widespread in various habitats and range regions in the Southwest. The individual shown here was growing in the understorey of a stand of sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) in the Western Cross Timbers, but it is also common in the Rio Grande Plains including the sabal palm forest. This individual (including the details of its leaves and inflorescences shown in the succeeding slides) seemed to be an unusually intact and unbattered specimen so it was included here. Erath County, Texas. September; full-bloom and immature fruit stages.

332. Details of a seasoned native- Leaves and inflorescence chilepiquin. This individual (introduced in the preceding photograph) was growing in the West Cross Timbers of northcentral Texas, but the species is so widespread that the same taxonomic variety is even more common in south Texas and Mexico. Erath County, Texas. September.

333. Chilipiquin, bird-pepper, or bush pepper (Capiscum annuum var glabriusculum= C. annuum var. minus)- This member of the nightshade family (Solonaceae) is regarded as subshrub or undershrub (suffrutescent or suffrticose). Whichever term is most appropriate this is one of the more widely distributed species along the Rio Grande(= Rio Bravo) growing from the Gulf of Mexico through the Chihuhuan Desert portions of the Trans-Pecos Region. Chilipiquin was a common associate of David milkberry, Drummond wax-mallow, and bloodberry as a member of the understorey of sabal palm-Texas ebony forests. This one was happy in the Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

334. Leaves and fruit of chilipiquin- Close-up photograph showing detail of shoot apex with unripe (immature) and ripening fruit. Fruit type is a berry. Capsicum is the genus of various chilis and peppers. C. annuum is the species commonly known as cayenne pepper. Fruit of chilipiquin is commonly used as a sesoning, in various "hot sauces", and as an all-around good tonic. This little fruit is adored as a wild spice by rangemen and foresters, cowhands and loggers, and other outdoorsmen who take life's litle pleasures where we find them. Have some on the woods. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

335. Berlandier fiddlewood or negrito (Citharexylum berlandieri)- This member of the verbena or vervain family (Verbenaceae) is a not-so-common species in climax sabal palm-ebano forest. Negrito is most commonly found growing in well-lite forest microsites (eg. outer edges of floodplain forests). Fiddlewood can grow to size of a small tree. It bears considerable fruit which is undoubtedly feed for animals, especially birds. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October (fruit-ripe stage).

336. Barbed-wire cactus or triangle cactus, or (Acanthocereus pentagonus= Cereus pentagonus)- This sprawling specimen was growing in the most dense, most jungle-like thicket of a sabal palm-Texas ebony floodplain forest just upslope from a resaca (ox-bow) along an old riverbed of the Rio Grande. This species blooms at night and ever so briefly such that it is sometimes referred to as night-blooming cereus, but most authorities reserve that title as a preferred common name for another species (one which does call palm jungles home). This specimen's dancing pardner was a a lime prickly ash (single-stemmed shrub with gray-colored trunk immediately to right of the cactus). Both were safe at home in Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

337. Shoot apex and fruit of triangle cactus- The cactus plant shown in the preceding photograph was at fruit-ripe phenological stage and the happy occasion was a "Kodak moment" for the reader's fortunate author/photographer. Fruit of triangle or barbed-wire (the origin of second common name was obvious in first photograph) is extremely sweet and a bon apetite bonanza for animals including the hymenopteran (ous) guests shown here. All were happy on the Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

338. Leaves of lime prickly ash or colima (Zanthoxylum fagara)- In recent times the Lower Rio Grande Valley became famous for its production of fine citrus fruit. This species is not one of those horticultural fruit crops, but it is in the citrus family (Rutaceae). Z. fagara is widely distributed in the Rio Grande Plains and Coastal Prairies and Marshes vegetational areas of Texas across the Gulf Coastal Plain to Florida and south into Central America. Lime prickly ash is a common member of climax sabal palm-texas ebony forest as well as of the "brush country" in general. Colima superficially resenbles legumes including possessing catclaw-like prickles. The example shown here was growing at the edge of a resaca in association with (and within wind-blown touching distance of) sabal palm, anaqua, and ebano on the Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

339. Bloodberry, pigeonberry, coralito, or rouge plant (Rivina humilis)- This is one of the few forb species that grows in the usually deeply shaded interiors of climax sabal palm-Texas ebony forest, but it is a common herbaceous plant in that range plant community. Bloodberry is in the small family Phytolaccaceae although some taxonomists have included teh genus in the Petiveriaceae. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County,Texas. October.

340. Shoots of bloodberry or coralito- Leaves, flowers, and fruit of one of the most common (and one of the few) forbs in climax palm-ebano floodplain forest. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

341. Cow-itch, ivy treeebine, or hierba del buey (Cissus incisa)- This woody vine or liana was growing on the old-field land featured in photographs above that was undergoing natural reforestation back to a sabal palm-Texas ebony forest. Cow-itch was not common in an adjoining old-growth palm-ebano forest where it was observed (in very scrawny form) on more open local sites (microsites). Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October.

342. Shoot tip of ivy treebine- Details of leaves and flower cluster of cow-itch growing on go-back land on floodplain of Rio Grande where it was growing in association with sabal palm, Texas ebony, anaqua, and common reed. Audubon Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas. October, full-bloom stage.

[ Home ]