LOCATION PALMETTO FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, subactive, hyperthermic Grossarenic Paleaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Palmetto sand in a grassy depression.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A12--8 to 10 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sand; common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) mottles; single grained; loose; common fine roots; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A2--10 to 25 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sand; common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) and light gray (10YR 7/1) mottles; single grained; loose; few fine roots; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
Bh&A2--25 to 30 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; many coarse distinct gray (10YR 5/1) mottles of A2 horizon material and common medium distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) Bh fragments; single grained; loose; many uncoated sand grains; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
B21h--30 to 40 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; common medium faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mottles; single grained; loose; many uncoated sand grains; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
B22h--40 to 45 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sand; common coarse faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; single grained; loose; many uncoated sand grains; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (Total thickness of the B2h horizon ranges from 4 to 20 inches thick)
B21tg--45 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few coarse faint dark grayish brown mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains moderately coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
B22tg--60 to 64 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam; common coarse faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) mottles: weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains moderately coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Total thickness of the B2tg horizon ranges from 7 to 24 inches thick)
B3g--64 to 68 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loamy sand; massive; friable; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Manatee County, Florida; about 2.25 miles north of Verna SW1/4SW1/4, sec. 24, T. 35 S., R. 20 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the B'2tg is more than 40 inches. Reaction of the A and Bh horizons ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid and of the B2t, B3g, and Cg horizons very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The A1 or Ap horizon has hue 10YR, value 1 to 4, and chroma 2 or less; or hue N, value 1 to 4. Thickness is 8 inches or less where value is 2 or 3. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The A2 horizon has hue 10YR, 2.5Y, or N, value 5 to 7, and chroma
2 or less with or without mottles or value 5, chroma 2 with
mottles. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bh&A2 horizon, where present, has colors like those of the component parts.
The B2h horizon does not meet the requirements of a spodic
horizon. Color is predominantly hue 10YR, value 3, chroma 2 or 3,
or value 4, chroma 2 to 4; or hue 7.5YR, value 4, chroma 2 or 4,
but ranges to hue 10YR, value 5, chroma 2 to 4 where value of the
A2 horizon is 7. Common to many uncoated sand grains are in the
B2h horizon. Texture is sand or fine sand.
Some pedons have an A'2 horizon, where present, hue is 10YR or
2.5Y, value 5 to 7, chroma 3 or less. Texture is sand or fine
sand.
The B2tg or B'2tg horizon has hue 10YR or 5Y, value 4 to 7, chroma
1 or 2; hue 2.5Y, value 4 to 7, chroma 1 or 2; hue 2.5Y, value 4
to 7, chroma 2; or hue N, value 4 to 7 with or without mottles of yellow, brown, red, or gray. Texture of the control section is
sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. In some pedons, texture of the lower B2tg horizon is sandy clay.
The B3 or B'3g horizon, where present, has the same color range as that of the B2tg horizon. Texture ranges from loamy sand to fine sandy loam.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value 5
to 8, chroma 4 or less. Texture ranges from sand to loamy fine
sand.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kanapaha series in the same family. Kanapaha soils lack a Bh horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Palmetto soils occur in sloughs, depressions, and poorly defined drainageways in the flatwoods of Peninsular Florida. They formed in thick beds of unconsolidated sandy and loamy marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual precipitation is about 55 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 73 degrees F. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basinger, EauGallie, Felda, Floridana, Immokalee, Oldsmar, Sellers, and Zephyr series. Basinger soils lack an argillic horizon. EauGallie, Immokalee, and Oldsmar soils are on higher flatwoods landscapes and have spodic horizons. In addition, Immokalee soils lack an argillic horizon. Felda soils lack a Bh horizon and have A horizons 20 to 40 inches thick. Floridana soils have a mollic epipedon, lack a Bh horizon, and have A horizons 20 to 40 inches thick. Sellers soils have thick umbric epipedons and are sandy to depths of 80 inches or more. Zephyr soils have a histic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Palmetto soils are poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is rapid in the A and Bh horizons and moderately slow in the Bt horizon. The water table is at depths less than 10 inches for 2 to 6 months in most years. Water may stand on the surface briefly after heavy rainfall in the rainy season. Depressions are ponded for 2 to 6 months or more in most year.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are in natural vegetation. Some areas are used for improved pasture. In the sloughs natural vegetation is chalky bluestem, blue maidencane, sand cordgrass, pineland threeawn, low panicums, and scattered slash pines and scattered clumps of sawpalmetto. In depressions native vegetation is sawgrass, maidencane, arrowhead, cattail, spikerush, St. Johnswort, bluestem, bay and cypress in places.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of small known extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pasco County, Florida; 1980.
REMARKS: This series was formerly mapped as a variant of the Basinger series. This soil would be classified in a Grossarenic Spodic subgroup of Paleaquults if such a subgroup was offered in
Soil Taxonomy.