Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance includes forests of coastal salt domes and cheniers dominated by Quercus virginiana and Celtis laevigata. These are mixed broadleaf evergreen and broadleaf deciduous forests. In one chenier type, the generally closed canopy is from 6-15 m tall. A related and unusual Quercus virginiana - Carya illinoinensis open woodland occurs within a matrix of coastal grassland. It is characterized by an open, patchy canopy with grass-dominated openings. In some areas it takes on the appearance of a savanna, with closed-canopy "mottes" surrounded by grasslands.

Floristics: These forests are dominated by Quercus virginiana and Celtis laevigata, sometimes with substantial amounts of other tree and shrub species. In one chenier type, the generally closed canopy is from 6-15 m tall and includes Celtis laevigata, Gleditsia triacanthos, Quercus virginiana, Sideroxylon lanuginosum, Ulmus americana, and Zanthoxylum clava-herculis. The subcanopy contains Crataegus viridis, Ilex decidua, Quercus nigra, and canopy species. The open to dense shrub layer has Nekemias arborea (= Ampelopsis arborea), Campsis radicans, Diospyros virginiana, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Sabal minor, Toxicodendron radicans, and Vitis mustangensis. Herbs may include Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius and Tillandsia usneoides.

Forests of Louisiana salt domes have a canopy dominated by Carya glabra, Celtis laevigata, Liquidambar styraciflua, Magnolia grandiflora, Quercus nigra, Quercus pagoda, Quercus virginiana, and Ulmus americana. The sparse shrub layer contains Sabal minor, Smilax rotundifolia, Vitis rotundifolia, and the invasive exotic shrub Ardisia crenata. A related and unusual Quercus virginiana - Carya illinoinensis open woodland is characterized by an open, patchy canopy with grass-dominated openings. The overstory is dominated by Quercus virginiana and Carya illinoinensis with lesser amounts of Celtis laevigata var. laevigata, Quercus stellata, and Ulmus alata. The understory typically includes Crataegus spp., Diospyros virginiana, Ilex vomitoria, and Sideroxylon sp. Common herbaceous species include Axonopus spp., Paspalum plicatulum, and Schizachyrium scoparium.

Dynamics:  Coastal examples are prone to the high winds, storm surge flooding, and shifting of sands associated with hurricanes. Fire and edaphic characteristics are thought to have played a role in the maintenance of the unusual Quercus virginiana - Carya illinoinensis open woodland in a woodland state. In the absence of fire, the canopy may become a closed forest.