LOCATION MIMOSA             TN+AL
Established Series
Rev. RPS
04/2001

MIMOSA SERIES


The Mimosa series consists of deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey residuum from phosphatic limestone. These soils are on gently sloping to steep uplands with medium to rapid runoff. Near the type location, average annual precipitation is 49 inches and average annual air temperature is 60 degrees F. Slopes range from 2 to 45 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Mimosa silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; about 10 to 15 percent by volume fragments of chert 1 to 3 inches across; few fine black concretions; medium acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--6 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; thin continuous clay films; few fine black and dark brown concretions; few 1 to 3 inch angular fragments of chert; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--12 to 22 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay; few fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; moderate angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; thin continuous clay films; few fine black and dark brown concretions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--22 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; common fine and medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4), yellowish red (5YR 5/6), and pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles; strong medium angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; thin continuous clay films; few fine dark brown and black concretions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--30 to 40 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; common fine and medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few thin patchy clay films; common fine dark brown and black concretions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 25 to 45 inches)

BC--40 to 50 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; common fine to coarse distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very firm, common medium and coarse black concretions; some thick stains along cracks and on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)

C--50 to 55 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; many fine to coarse prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), and gray (N 6/0) mottles; massive; very firm; common fine and medium black concretions, medium acid. (0 to 15 inches thick)

R--55 inches; phosphatic limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1 mile southwest of Eagleville; 200 feet northeast of Eagle benchmark; 1,000 feet southeast of barn on Gordon Lamb Farm.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to rock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 25 percent in the surface layer and 5 percent or less below. The fragments are mostly chert and most areas have less than 15 percent in the surface layer. The soil is medium acid to very strongly acid except the layer just above bedrock is medium acid to mildly alkaline. Phosphorous content of each horizon is medium to high.

The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. Value of 5 and chroma of 6 are for pedons in severely eroded areas. Horizons with value of 3 are less than 7 inches thick. The texture is mostly silt loam or silty clay loam, but includes silty clay and clay in severely eroded areas.

Some pedons have a transitional between the Ap and Bt horizons. The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 4 to 8. The texture is silty clay or clay except the upper few inches is also silty clay loam. Mottles are in shades of brown and red.

The BC and C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 and chroma of 4 or 6. Mottles are in shades of brown, red and gray. The texture is silty clay or clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Archer, Bradyville, Conasauga, Talbott, and Winnsville series in the same family and the Braxton, Capshaw, Colbert, Conasauga, Hampshire, and Needmore series. Archer soils have sandy loam to sand surface horizons and a noticeable amount of sand in the upper part of the B horizon. Bradyville soils have Bt horizons redder than 7.5YR hue. Braxton soils have sola more than 60 inches tkick and base saturation is less than 60 percent. Capshaw soils have gray mottles in the middle and lower parts of the Bt horizon and base saturation of 35 to 60 percent. Colbert soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy and gray mottles in the B horizon. Conasauga soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Hampshire soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches and base saturation of less than 60 percent. Needmore soils are mesic. Talbott soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches and have redder hues in the Bt horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gently sloping to steep upland extending from the edge of the Highland Rim down into the outer Central Basin, and on outlying knobs and hills within the inner Central Basin. Slopes range from about 2 to 45 percent. The soils formed chiefly in clayey residuum weathered from phosphatic limestone. Near the type location, average annual precipitation is 49 inches and average annual air temperature is 60 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Braxton series, and the Armour, Ashwood, Dellrose, and Maury series. Armour and Dellrose soils are less clayey. Ashwood soils are 20 to 40 inches thick over bedrock and have a mollic epipedon. Maury soils have reddish B horizons and depth to rock is more than 60 inches

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage of these soils have been cleared, but some areas reverted back to trees. Most cleared areas are used for growing pasture and hay. Wooded areas are in oak, hickory, black walnut, elm, maple, hackberry, black and honey locust, and redcedar.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Central Basin of Tennessee and possibly in northern Alabama. The soil is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Tennessee; 1938.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are: Ochric epipedon - 0 to 6 inches (Ap horizon) Argillic horizon - 6 to 40 inches (Bt1-Bt4 horizons)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.