LOCATION ELLZEY FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Ellzey fine sand in a nearly level, cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sand; few medium faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mottles; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many uncoated light gray sand grains; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
A21--12 to 19 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) fine sand; many fine and medium distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1), few fine distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; single grained; loose; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A22--19 to 27 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand; common coarse prominent yellow brownish (10YR 5/8) mottles; single grained; loose; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A2 horizons is 5 to 23 inches thick)
B11ir--27 to 30 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) fine sand; single grained; loose; upper boundary stained with brown (7.5YR 5/2) accumulation about 1/4 inch thick; medium acid; clear wavy boundary.
B12ir--30 to 33 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; friable; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
B13ir--33 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; friable; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bir horizon is 5 to 14 inches thick)
B21t--37 to 41 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy fine sand; few coarse distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and few fine faint brown and few fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains are lightly coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
B22t--41 to 58 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) loamy fine sand; few medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; few fine pockets of white (10YR 8/1) fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains are lightly coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
C1g--58 to 64 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine
sand; common coarse distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) mottles; single grained, loose, few medium pockets of gray (10YR 6/1) fine sandy loam; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches
thick)
C2g--64 to 80 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) fine sand; common medium pockets of white (10YR 8/1) single grained, loose; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Johns County, Florida; 700 feet east of intersection of St. Ambrose Road and Scoville Road and 60 feet
north of St. Ambrose Road. SW1/4SE1/4 sec. 23, T. 8 S., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 50 to 80 inches. Reaction ranges from medium acid to neutral in the A
horizon and from very strongly acid to neutral in the other
horizons. Base saturation is less than 50 percent in some part of the argillic horizon.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1
or value of 3, and chroma of 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The A2 horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1
to 3. Mottles of gray, brown, or yellow are in this horizon in
some pedons. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bir horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 4
to 8; hue of 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 8; or hue of
2.5Y, value of 6, and chroma of 8. Texture is sand or fine sand. Combined thickness of the A and Bir horizons ranges from 20 to 38 inches.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4
or 6 or hue of 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 or 4.
Mottles in shades of gray, brown, yellow, or red are in this
horizon in some pedons. Texture is loamy sand or loamy fine sand with 8 to 14 percent clay. Clay content is more than 3 percent greater than the horizon above.
Some pedons have a B3 horizon. Where present, it has hue of 10YR
or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2. In some pedons this horizon extends to 80 inches or more deep. Texture is loamy sand
or loamy fine sand.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7,
and chroma of 1 or 2; or hue of 5Y or 5GY, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1. Texture is sand or fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Closely similar soils in other families are the
Hilolo and
Parkwood series. These soils do not have mollic epipedons and contain calcareous materials.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ellzey soils are on broad low-lying
cultivated areas of the south Florida flatwoods. Slopes are less than 2 percent and are very smooth. Average annual precipitation near the type location is about 55 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 72 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Floridana,
Placid, and
Riviera series. All of these soils are on similar positions
in the landscape. They do not have Bir horizons. In addition, Floridana soils have a heavier textured argillic horizon with a higher base saturation. Placid soils do not have an argillic horizon. Riviera soils have an ochric epipedon and a heavier textured argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Ellzey soils are poorly drained. The water table is within depths of 10 inches of the surface for 1
month to 6 months in most years. Permeability is moderately rapid
in the A and Bir horizons and moderate in the Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cleared and drained and used
for truck crops. Native vegetation consists of slash pine,
longleaf pine, inkberry, waxmyrtle, few sawpalmetto, and few small cypress. Native grasses include pineland threeawn, chalky
bluestem, and maidencane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Florida. The series is of
small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Johns County, Florida. 1981.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as a variant of the
Pineda series.