LOCATION LAVENDER TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Udic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Lavender loamy fine sand, on a north-facing, convex, 2 percent slope in pastureland at elevation of 465 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; few fine and medium roots; few fine siliceous pebbles; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 13 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; few medium black concretions; few fine and medium siliceous pebbles; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--13 to 22 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; few medium faint brown (7.5YR 5/4) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; common fine black concretions; few fine and medium siliceous pebbles; few dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) organic stains along root channels; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)
Bt3--22 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; few medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; common fine black concretions; few fine and medium siliceous pebbles; few dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) organic stains along root channels; medium acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
2R--31 inches; hard fossiliferous limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Limestone County, Texas; about 7 miles Southwest of Mexia on Farm Road 1633; from the intersection of Farm Roads 1633 and 2705; 1.4 miles West on Farm Road 1633; 2.3 miles South on County Road; 32 feet East in pastureland. Latitude 31 degrees, 35 minutes, 19 seconds north; Longitude 96 degrees, 33 minutes, 45 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to lithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The lower boundary of the solum rests abruptly on limestone or grades into bedded limestone. The weighted average clay content in the control section ranges from 18 to 30 percent. In some pedons there are rounded siliceous pebbles and cobbles concentrated 1 to 2 inches above the limestone. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 5 percent throughout the solum. Pockets of soil between limestone fractures extend to depths of 80 inches in some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The E horizon, where present, is about 1 or 2 units of value more than the A horizon. E horizon texture is loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid through neutral. The combined thickness of the A and E horizons ranges from 7 to 17 inches.
The Bt and/or Btk horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8. Few to common mottles range in shades of red, brown, or yellow. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid through slightly alkaline. Calcium carbonate concretions range from 0 to 15 percent. Black concretions range from none to common.
The 2R layer is hard limestone bedrock that is tightly fractured. Fossils range from none to common. Hardness is more than 3 on Moh`s scale.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Cisco, Gholson, May, and Personville soils in the same family. Similar soils are Gasil, Groesbeck, Rosanky and Silawa series. Cisco, Gholson, May and Gasil soils do not have a lithic contact. Groesbeck soils have a mollic epipedon and are moderately well drained. Personville soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Silawa soils are underlain by stratified sandy and loamy sediments and sola is 40 to more than 72 inches. Rosanky soils have a fine textured control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lavender soils are on gently sloping uplands. These soils formed in loamy Pleistocene sediments deposited over the Tehuacana Limestone, mainly of the Midway group of Tertiary Age. Slope gradients are mainly 1 to 3 percent but range to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 38 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 65 to 67 degrees F. Frost free days range from 250 to 260 days and elevation ranges from 430 to 650 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 56 to 64.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Axtell, Gredge, Groesbeck, Padina, Personville, Rader, Silawa and Styx soils. The Axtell and Gredge soils have fine textured argillic horizons and are in similar positions. Groesbeck soils have a mollic epipedon. Personville soils have a solum 40 to 60 inches thick. Rader soils are in concave positions and have gray mottles due to wetness. Silawa soils have sola more than 40 inches. Styx soils have a solum of 60 to more than 80 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These are used mainly for pasture and native rangeland. Native vegetation consists of oak with an understory of mid and tall grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Texas; (MLRA 86A). The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Limestone County, Texas; 1992. The name is from the community of Lavender.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 7 to 31 inches. (Bt, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons)
Lithic contact - hard limestone bedrock at 31 inches.
These soils were previously included with the Silawa series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU Soil Characterization Laboratory; S88TX-293-02. SNTC Soil Mechanics Laboratory; S88TX-293-02.