LOCATION NARCOOSSEE         FL
Established Series
Rev. ELR:GM:AGH
1/94

NARCOOSSEE SERIES


The Narcoossee series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in thick sandy sediments of marine origin. These soils are on low knolls and ridges in the flatwoods areas of central and southern Peninsular Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Oxyaquic
Alorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Narcoossee fine sand on a smooth, nearly level, convex slope, in woodland. (Colors are for moist soil.)

A--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)

E1--5 to 9 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; few fine medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

E2--9 to 22 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 2 to 20 inches.)

Bh1--22 to 24 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) and dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) fine sand; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated with organic matter; horizon is discontinuous in about 40 percent of pedon; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bh2--24 to 26 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated with organic matter; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

BC--26 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand; few medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; single grained; loose; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)

C1--36 to 62 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark brown (10YR 4/3) mottles and common coarse distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; single grained; loose; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 26 inches thick)

C2--62 to 82 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand; single grained; loose; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Osceola County, Florida; about 1.2 miles west of intersection of State Highways 525 and 525A and 500 feet north of State Highway 525. SE1/4SW1/4, Sec. 19, T. 26 S., R. 30 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 10 to 50 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the A and E horizons, and from extremely acid to moderately alkaline in the other horizons.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma 1 or 2. Total thickness of the A and E horizons is 9 to 25 inches. Texture is sand or fine sand.

The Bh horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. The Bh horizon is 3 to 6 inches thick, and is discontinuous. It ranges from 50 to 85 percent continuous in most pedons. Texture is sand or fine sand.

The BC horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4; or hue of 7.5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 4; or hue of 5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 6. In some pedons, this horizon has few or common, fine or medium mottles in shades of gray, brown, and yellow. Some pedons also have pockets of dark gray or gray fine sand in this horizon. Pockets are 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Texture is sand or fine sand.

Some pedons have a B'h horizon at depths of more than 59 inches. Color and texture are the same as Bh horizon.

Dominantly the C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 4; or hue of 5Y or 5GY, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1. In the lower part of some pedons the C horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. Mottles are few to many, fine to coarse, and are in shades of gray, brown, and yellow. Texture is dominantly sand or fine sand, but ranges to loamy sand in a few areas.

Shell substratum phases are recognized. Texture includes gravelly sand or gravelly fine sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cassia, Electra, Newnan, Pomello, and Zolfo series. Cassia soils have Bh horizons which are continuous in more than 90 percent of each pedon. Electra and Newnan soils have a Bt horizon below the Bh horizon. In addition, in Electra the depth to the Bh horizon is 30 to 50 inches. Pomello soils have A and E horizons that combined are 30 to 50 inches thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Narcoossee soils are on low knolls and ridges within the flatwoods of central and southern Florida. Slope gradients are 0 to 5 percent, and elevation above surrounding soils is 1 to 3 feet. Annual precipitation ranges from about 50 to 60 inches, and mean annual temperature is 70 to 74 degrees F. Precipitation is unevenly distributed throughout the year. Heaviest rainfall occurs during the summer from about June to October.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Cassia and Pomello series, and in addition, the Adamsville, Myakka, Smyrna, and Tavares series. Adamsville and Tavares soils do not have spodic horizons and, additionally, Tavares soils are better drained. Myakka and Smyrna soils are poorly drained and have more strongly developed Bh horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Narcoossee soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is very slow. Permeability is moderately rapid in the Bh horizon and rapid in the A, E, BC, and C horizons. The water table is within depths of 2 to 3.5 feet for 4 to 6 months in most years. During extended dry periods, the water table recedes to depths greater than 60 inches. During periods of high rainfall the water table may rise to depths of 10 to 20 inches for brief periods.

USE AND VEGETATION: Narcoossee soils are used mainly for citrus and range. Native vegetation is dominantly water oak, willow oak, live oak, laurel oak, longleaf pine, slash pine, greenbrier, sawpalmetto, pineland threeawn, creeping bluestem, panicum, purple lovegrass, and lopsided Indiangrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and Southern Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Osceola County, Florida; 1976.

REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Tavares series. The revision changed the series classification to recognize the 1992 amendments to Soil Taxonomy that introduced changes in classification of Spodosols.

Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 22 inches (the A, E1, and E2 horizons).

Albic horizon - the zone from a depth of 5 inches to a depth of 22 inches (the E1 and E2 horizons).

Spodic horizon - the zone from a depth of 22 inches to a depth of 26 inches (the Bh1 and Bh2 horizons).

DATA: Soil Characterization Lab., IFAS, UOF
S51-1-(1-9), S53-24-(1-7), S54-2-(1-8), S55-9-(1-8),
S64-3-(1-8)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.