LOCATION DELRAY FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Grossarenic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Delray fine sand--woodland. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A1--0 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--10 to 16 inches; very dark gray 10YR 3/1) fine sand, weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 10 to 24 inches.)
Eg--16 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; common fine roots; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (20 to 50 inches in thickness)
Btg--60 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; weak fine subangular structure; friable; most sand grains coated and bridged with clay; slightly acid. (6 to 30 inches in thickness)
TYPE LOCATION: Sumter County, Florida; approximately 10 feet west of North Grade Road and about 600 feet north of Inner Tube Road, SE1/4, SE1/4, sec. 14, T. 23 S., R. 23 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Total thickness of the A and E horizons range from 40 to 74 inches. Soil reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline throughout, generally becoming less acid with depth.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2, or it is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Texture is sand or fine sand, but includes loamy sand, mucky loamy fine sand, or mucky fine sand. Organic matter content ranges from about 2 to 18 percent. In depressional areas, a thin Oa surface layer of muck may be present.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 to 7. Texture is sand or fine sand. Very dark gray or black vertical streaks less than 1 inch wide range from none to common.
The Btg horizon has hue from 10YR to 5GY, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 to 6. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, gray, or yellow range from none to common.
The BCg horizon, where present, has colors similar to the Btg horizon. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The Cg horizon, where present, has colors similar to the Btg horizon. Texture is fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand, or sand. Layers of shells, shell fragments, or limestone are range from none to common.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Delray soils are on broad flats, flood plains, and depressions in the Lower Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments influenced by limey materials. The average annual temperature ranges from 72 to 74 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 47 to 51 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Anclote, Chobee, Felda, Floridana, Hicoria, Holopaw, Manatee, Popash, Riviera, Pompano, and Valkaria series. Anclote, Pompano, and Valkaria soils are sandy throughout. In addition, Valkaria soils are poorly drained. Chobee and Manatee soils have surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches in thickness. The poorly drained Felda and Riviera soils are arenic and do not have a mollic epipedon. Floridana and Hicoria are arenic. In addition, Hicoria soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Holopaw and Popash soils do not have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; rapid permeability in the A and Eg horizons and moderately rapid to moderate permeability in the Btg horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of this soil is cleared and where drained, it is used for improved pasture and truck crops. Natural vegetation includes southern bayberry, pickerelweed, sedges, reeds, water tolerant grasses, and cypress, bay, tupelo and other water tolerant trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Everglades Project Area, Florida; 1945.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 16 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Albic horizon--the zone from 16 to 60 inches (Eg horizon).
Argillic horizon--the zone from 60 to 80 inches (Btg horizon).
The water table is at depths of less than 12 inches for 6 to 9 months in most years. Depressions are ponded for 6 months or more most years. Flood plains are flooded for very long duration.
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Florida, IFAS, Soil Characterization Lab number 1752 to 1757.