LOCATION PETAL MSEstablished Series
The Petal series consists of deep, moderately well drained soils. Permeability is slow. Water is perched at a depth of 30 to 42 inches during wet seasons late in winter and early in spring. Petal soils formed in loamy and clayey marine sediment. These soils are in rolling to hilly uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 8 to 20 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Paleudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Petal fine sandy loam--forested:
(Colors are for the moist soil unless otherwise
stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; common fine pores; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
E--4 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular and weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots, common fine pores; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Btl--8 to 17 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, plastic; many fine and medium roots; few pores; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--17 to 23 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common medium faint red (2.5YR 4/6) mottles; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; firm, plastic; common fine and medium roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick.)
Bt3--23 to 32 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam; many coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and many coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; firm plastic and sticky; few fine roots; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick.)
2Bt4--32 to 45 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay; many coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and many coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; firm, plastic and sticky; stress surfaces and thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few slickensides that do not intersect; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt5--45 to 65 inches; mottled light gray (5Y 7/2), red (2.5YR 4/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm, plastic and sticky; stress surfaces and thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few slickensides that do not intersect; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Forrest County, Mississippi; 1.3 miles west of intersection of U.S. Highway 49 at Brooklyn, on Rock Hill Road, 0.3 mile southwest on gravel road and 400 feet south into woods. NW1/4NW1/4 sec. 17, T. 1 N., R. 12 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to over 80 inches. The soil is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout, except for the surface layer in areas that have been limed. The particle-size control section, upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon, has 18 to 35 percent clay and more than 20 percent silt.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
The E horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
The Btl horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 to 8, or it has hue of 7.5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 6 to 8. If mottles are present, they are few or common in shades of brown or red. It is loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
The Bt2 horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 to 8, and it commonly has mottles in shades of gray, brown, or red; in some pedons it is mottled in shades of red, gray, brown, or yellow. It is loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
The Bt3 horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6, with few to many medium or coarse mottles in shades of red, gray, yellow, or brown; or it is mottled in these colors. It is loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
The 2Bt horizon either is mottled in shades of red, brown, and gray, or it has a matrix in hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 to 3, with few to many mottles in shades of red, gray, or brown. It is commonly, silty clay or clay, and the range includes clay loam and silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Attoyac, Caledonia, Elrose, and Sallisaw series in the same family and the closely related Braxton, Freest, Kamie, Macon, and Woden series. Attoyac soils are less clayey in the lower part of the Bt horizon and do not have slickensides or pressure faces in the lower part of the Bt horizon. Caledonia soils, which are less clayey in the lower part of the Bt horizon and do not have slickensides, are well drained with the water table at a depth greater than 6 feet. Elrose soils have glauconite fragments in the Bt horizon. Sallisaw soils have 35 to 90 percent coarse fragments by volume in the lower part of the Bt horizon. Braxton soils are fine in the particle-size control section. Freest soils have hue yellower than 10YR in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Kamie and Macon soils have mixed mineralogy. Woden soils are coarse-loamy in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Freest series and the Benndale, Cadeville, Falkner, Prentiss, Savannah, and Susquehanna series. Bennedale, Freest, Cadeville, and Susquehanna soils are in similar landscape positions as the Petal soils. In addition, Benndale soils are well drained and are coarse-loamy in the particle-size control section; Cadeville soils are fine in the particle-size control section and have a solum less than 60 inches thick; Susquehanna soils are fine in the particle-size control section and are somewhat poorly drained. Falkner soils, which are fine-silty in the particle-size control section, are somewhat poorly drained in nearly level to sloping areas with low relief. Prentiss and Savannah soils, which mainly are on ridgetops, have a fragipan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability. Water is perched between a depth of 30 and 42 inches, above the clayey subsoil, for short periods during wet seasons late in winter and early in spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for woodland that is a mixture of pines and hardwoods. Cleared areas are used for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Coastal Plain of Mississippi. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Forrest County, Mississippi; 1975.