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Magnolia virginiana - Persea palustris / Lyonia lucida Swamp Forest | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Magnolia virginiana - Persea palustris / Lyonia lucida Swamp Forest
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This saturated forest of the Outer Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States has a low diversity of vascular plants. Sites include stream-associated flats, stringers and isolated peaty wetlands. The canopy is dominated by <i>Magnolia virginiana</i> and <i>Persea palustris</i>, sometimes one or the other, and rarely also <i>Gordonia lasianthus</i>. Additional possible components of the canopy are <i>Nyssa biflora, Taxodium ascendens, Ilex cassine, Acer rubrum</i>, and <i>Cliftonia monophylla</i>. Sometimes there is a very sparse emergent component of <i>Pinus elliottii</i> or <i>Pinus serotina</i>. The shrub layer may be dominated by <i>Lyonia lucida</i> and can also include <i>Ilex coriacea, Ilex opaca, Ilex cassine, Morella cerifera, Clethra alnifolia, Serenoa repens</i>, and others. Vines are mainly <i>Smilax laurifolia</i> but also include <i>Vitis rotundifolia</i> and <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i>. Herbaceous flora is sparse to absent but can include <i>Osmunda cinnamomea, Woodwardia areolata</i>, and <i>Woodwardia virginica</i>. The epiphyte <i>Tillandsia usneoides</i> may be present. Scattered <i>Sphagnum</i> patches occur. This community sometimes occurs in association with <i>Cliftonia monophylla</i> forests, in which case it occurs in slightly drier (though still saturated) situations. In northeastern Florida, at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (including Fort Caroline National Memorial), dead and dying <i>Persea palustris</i> indicate that these sweetbay forests are being affected by laurel wilt, which is caused by a vascular wilt fungus that is transmitted to species in the Lauraceae family via the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle (<i>Xyleborus glabratus</i>). 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35366-{353D6651-0F44-4024-99FD-5FCE5154CE18}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 11
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 10-Sep-2008 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688884 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL007049
  Translated: Sweetbay - Swamp Bay / Shining Fetterbush Swamp Forest
  Common: Outer Coastal Plain Sweetbay Swamp Forest
  Scientific: Magnolia virginiana - Persea palustris / Lyonia lucida Swamp Forest
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) CEGL007049
(similar) Magnolia virginiana - Persea palustris / Lyonia lucida Forest
(similar) Magnolia virginiana - Persea palustris / Lyonia lucida Forest