LOCATION COMFREY IL+IN MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Comfrey loam with a plane slope of 1 percent on a flood plain in a cultivated field at an elevation of 221 meters (725 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soils.)
Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 inches); black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; friable; many very fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
A1--18 to 38 cm (7 to 15 inches); black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; friable; common very fine roots; many distinct black (N 2.5/) organic coatings on faces of peds; common fine brown (7.5YR 4/4) very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
A2--38 to 66 cm (15 to 26 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; friable; common very fine roots; many distinct black (N 2.5/) organic coatings on faces of peds; common fine brown (7.5YR 4/4) very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bg--66 to 94 cm (26 to 37 inches); gray (2.5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; common very fine roots; few distinct very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) organic coatings on faces of peds and in pores; many fine and medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; common fine distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg1--94 to 145 cm (37 to 57 inches); gray (5Y 5/1), stratified clay loam and loam; massive; friable; few very fine roots; many fine and medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; common fine prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Cg2--145 to 160 (57 to 63 inches); 40 percent gray (5Y 5/1), 30 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and 30 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1), stratified loam and sandy loam; massive; friable; 12 percent gravel; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Winnebago County, Illinois; 570 feet north and 1,400 feet west of the center of sec. 25, T. 43 N., R. 2 E.; USGS Cherry Valley topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 10 minutes 32 seconds N. and long. 88 degrees 57 minutes 17 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, Easting 0338549, Northing 4671120, NAD 83:
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of soil development ranges from 61 to 127 cm (24 to 50 inches). The mollic epipedon ranges from 61 to 91 centimeters (24 to 36 inches) in thickness. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 46 to 152 centimeters (18 to 60 inches) or more. The control section has between 18 and 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent of fine sand and coarser. A small amount of gypsum is in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or is neutral with value of 2 or 3. It has redoximorphic features in some pedons. It is loam, clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam. It has weak or moderate granular or subangular blocky structure. It typically is neutral or slightly alkaline but ranges to moderately acid in subhorizons in some pedons.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or neutral;value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 0 to 2. It is clay loam, loam, or silty clay loam. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The BCg and Cg horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. They have faint through distinct redoximorphic features in some to all parts. They typically are loam or clay loam, but have subhorizons of silt loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. Also, they have coarser textured subhorizons below depths of 40 inches in some pedons. They are neutral or slightly alkaline in the upper part and slightly or moderately alkaline in the lower part. Rock fragment content is less than 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coland, Delft, Excello, Gielow, Glencoe, Gus, James Canyon, Keddie, Kimmerling, Konner, Lundlake, McClave, Peoh, Romnell, Shandep, and Wenas soils in the same family. Coland soils have a thicker mollic epipedon and have free carbonates beginning at greater depths. Delft and Glencoe soils have more coarse fragments and are on upland. James Canyon, Kimmerling, McClave, Peoh, and Wenas are in drier climates. Konner soils are in a drier climate and lack free carbonates within a depth of 60 inches. Romnell soils have gypsum throughout their sola. Shandep soils have a coarse-textured substratum. Excello and Cielow soils have a mean annual soil temperature of greater than 12 degrees C. Gus and Keddie soils do not have carbonates in the series control section. Lundlake soils have rock fragments in the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Comfrey soils have plane or concave slopes with gradient of less than 2 percent on flood plains and alluvial fans. They formed in loamy post glacial alluvium. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 8 to 11 degrees C (46 to 52 degrees F) and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 560 to 810 millimeters (22 to 32 inches). Annual frost free days are 150 to 180. Elevation ranges from 350 to 549 meters (1150 to 1800 feet) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lawson, Millington, and Sawmill soils. The somewhat poorly drained Lawson soils are calcareous and are on slightly higher positions. The poorly drained calcareous Millington soils are on similar positions. The poorly drained Sawmill soils average less than 15 percent sand in the particle-size control section and are on similar positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly and very poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high (4.23 to 14.11 micrometer per second). Permeability is moderate. . The apparent seasonal high saturation is at a depth of 15 to 45 centimeters (6 to 18 inches) at some time from March to June in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of Comfrey soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, and meadow are the principal crops. Undrained areas are mostly used for pasture or woodland. Native vegetation is grasses and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Illinois, southern Minnesota, and Indiana. This series is of moderate extent in MLRA's of 95B, 102A, 102C, 103, 105, 107A, 108A, 108B, 110, 111C, 113, 114B, 115B and 115C.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Faribault County, Minnesota, 1951.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 89 centimeters (35 inches).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Central File Code No. 959 for results of some laboratory analyses of the typical pedon.
With this revision, the typical pedon is moved from Rock County, Minnesota to Winnebago County, Illinois to a better representative area for Comfrey Soils.