Name:
Citharexylum berlandieri - Yucca treculeana - Ebenopsis ebano - Phaulothamnus spinescens Shrubland
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This community is a xeric, subtropical shrubland dominated by thorny evergreen shrubs, generally 2-4 m tall. It occurs in eastern Cameron County, Texas, on well-drained portions of clay dunes, called lomas. At the time of formation, lomas were located on the leeward side of irregularly flooded lagoons and tidal flats that when dry provided the source for the wind-blown clayey sediments. Some lomas may be flooded by the sea during severe storm events. Vegetation in this community is sometimes influenced by salt spray, high winds, limited rooting depth, saline water table, and extreme xeric conditions. Similar vegetation may occur in adjacent regions of Mexico. The surrounding tidal grassland is often dominated by Sporobolus wrightii and Spartina spartinae. Composition of this community is extremely variable, and there is usually no clear dominant, except locally. Local dominants include Citharexylum berlandieri, Leucophyllum frutescens, Havardia pallens (= Pithecellobium pallens), and Ebenopsis ebano. This association is broadly described to cover all of the highly variable thornscrub vegetation occurring on lomas in south Texas. Soils are typically Point Isabel clay loam. Other typical shrub species include Acacia schaffneri, Amyris madrensis, Baccharis texana, Borrichia frutescens, Sideroxylon celastrinum, Castela erecta, Celtis pallida, Condalia hookeri var. hookeri, Croton humilis, Xylothamia palmeri (= Ericameria austrotexana), Forestiera angustifolia, Gymnosperma glutinosum, Jatropha dioica, Karwinskia humboldtiana, Lantana urticoides (= Lantana horrida), Mammillaria heyderi, Maytenus phyllanthoides, Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri, Phaulothamnus spinescens, Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa, Prosopis reptans, Schaefferia cuneifolia, Sideroxylon celastrinum (= Bumelia celastrina), Yucca treculeana, Zanthoxylum fagara, and Ziziphus obtusifolia var. obtusifolia. The understory is open and networked with cattle and deer trails. Many native grasses occur in this community, including Tridens albescens, Pappophorum vaginatum, Eragrostis spp., Bouteloua trifida, Digitaria californica, Sporobolus wrightii, Aristida purpurea, Setaria leucopila, Buchloe dactyloides, and Aristida spp.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.26092.CITHAREXYLUMBER
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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